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I was in my favorite Starbucks one day and, having purchased some cool metal bookmarks that had the Starbucks logo on them from my niece's new online business, I decided kind-of-spur-of-the-moment to give one of them to one of the baristas. She was a nice person that I had known for a couple of years, so I figured I’d gift her with it.

She thanked me for it, and laid it down beside the sales terminal. Then she went on, waiting on customers, etc.

A few days later, when I returned, I showed the manager of the store my bookmark, and she thought it was cool. When I asked her if she had seen the one I gave the barista, she said, “No,” and later, that it was probably lost there somewhere.

Although I never discussed it with the barista, I was a little upset. Didn’t she realize that I had paid for that bookmark with my own money, and gave it to her as a special gift?

Then I thought about it. Jesus paid His life for us and our sins, and I have often put His “gift” that he gave to me (and to us) aside, in my mind and my life, not seeing the value. I often have to go back, find, and appreciate that gift that he gave me so long ago. And when I do, my life is the better for it.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 6:23 (ESV, emphasis added)

"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 (ESV, emphasis added)