Friday was a wild day.

Some unexpected news kept me in meetings all morning and I ended up having about twenty minutes to grab something to eat before my afternoon events started.

I darted to the Mexican resturant across the street from my office. The waiter asked if I wanted the usual (two grilled shrimp soft tacos with extra peppers and guacamole)- and I grunted out a distracted “yeah” while checking emails and missed phone calls.

After quickly eating my meal I headed up to the register. The manager, Renee, smiled and told me that there was “no charge.” Someone had paid for my lunch and left me a note.

“Thank you for all you do. Have a great weekend! Lunch is on me today.”

I was stunned. I quickly looked around the place to see if I could recognize who might have done this kind deed. Unfortunately, I was so distracted when I came in that I didn’t notice anyone.

It changed my day completely. I had been distracted…completely caught up in my work. I certainly didn’t deserve this gift, but I was grateful.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

Salvation is a gift…a gift we shouldn’t ever take for granted. And we’ve done nothing to deserve it.

Jesus freely died on the Cross to ensure that we can live with him forever in Heaven.

No matter how busy or preoccupied we become, we must never overlook this precious gift from Jesus. It’s so pure, so awesome…and completely free of charge for us.

My prayer this week will be to reflect more intentionally about the gift of salvation. And I want to me more focused on giving gifts to others…a smile, a kind word, a helping hand or even a free lunch.

Please let me know how I may pray for you.

God bless.