Gumball Machine

When I was a child, one of the biggest kicks was to get a nickel or quarter from my mom and put it in the gumball machine and then turn that big knob and wait with anticipation for something sweet to come rolling out!

You don't really see those big gumball machines anymore. If you do, it will cost alot more than a nickel to get something sweet, I am sure you will need a few more coins to fulfill your anticipation.

As I was thinking about this sweet memory of my childhood, I couldn't help but think that we as people are much like a gumball machine. The more we put in, the sweeter the outcome will be.

The problem is that in today's busy world, such input is becoming almost as rare as the original gumball machine. There is no better proof of this rarity than the picture I see almost every day here in the Memphis area. It is not a rare sight to see a seemingly homeless person standing on a corner, holding a sign, asking for help. The rarest thing about this picture is seeing anyone stop to offer help...its hardly ever seen.

A quarter doesn't seem like much, it wasn't much when I could drop it in the gumball machine, but yet, a quarter, a dollar, a hamburger, a cup of coffee, a new pair of shoes seems like way too much to invest in someone who has nothing.

Psalm 119:103 "How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!"

Christians should be the gumball machines of the world...investing in others (putting something in) so that a sweetness, the kind that comes from Gods love, can come out. Someone, maybe on the corner or maybe at your workplace, is waiting with anticipation for a sweet taste of Jesus. All they need is a quarter and it is still in your pocket.