This year, for the first time since all the grandchildren have been born, our children and grandchildren were all together in North Carolina for Christmas. What a treat!
As we considered what to give everyone for Christmas this year, we decided that an “experience” gift would be better than more boxes under the tree. With a little research we found that UNC-Chapel Hill had a home game on December 29 and, with most of the students gone for the holidays, we could get tickets. So everyone in the family got a UNC t-shirt and a ticket to the basketball game from Santa.
Although neither ENan nor I went to UNC-CH, nor did we grow up Tar Heel fans, when both of our kids got a scholarship to go to Chapel Hill we figured “We can be bought.” All of our family are now big Tar Heel fans, which may present a dilemma with out-of-state tuition in a few years. Walking through the campus, running around the football stadium and cheering in the Dean Dome was “Blue Heaven” for all of us. (I recognize for some of you it sounds more like the bad place, but we are praying for you.)
The team UNC was playing that night were clearly outmatched. The Tar Heels were hitting most of their shots and the game was decided early in the first half. The real excitement came when Bojangles announced that if the home team reached 100 points, you could buy two sausage biscuits for $1.00 the following day. When the scoreboard clicked 100, the entire arena went crazy. You would have thought they were offering free tuition for four years. It seemed everyone suddenly wanted a sausage biscuit!
Friends who have been a part of similar offers at basketball games have shared stories of disappointment as the fine print says, “At participating restaurants” or “Certain restrictions apply.” It seems that “free” does not always mean free. Sometimes there are strings attached to the promise.
The Bible verse that opened my heart to salvation says, “By grace you have been saved through faith. It is the gift of God…” (Ephesians 2:8) Our salvation was purchased with the blood of Jesus: It is free to us and must only be received by faith. God has promised us abundant life here and eternal life hereafter.
Heaven is ours. No strings attached.
-Dr. Jim Baldwin
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