I "follow" the Mariners official Twitter feed, and periodically they sponsor promotions, such as "Bring a sign that says 'I follow @TheRealMariners' and win a prize!" They had that going for this particular homestand, and so I decided, "Hey, I'd like a prize," and I made a sign. I knew that the simple act of making a sign--any sort of sign, it didn't have to be creative or original--would guarantee me a prize. Yet a half-hearted effort is not in me in regards to things like this, so I went all out. I worked on the thing for 5 hours (NOT an exaggeration, in fact probably an underestimate) on Sunday night, knowing that I wouldn't have any time Monday due to work. So I got to the game and took care of business right away. I followed the directions and waited for my yet-unknown prize. And waited. And waited. I knew a prize was definitely coming; they had confirmed it through Twitter by asking where I was sitting. But I still grew impatient. What is my prize going to be? Did they forget about me? I went through my inbox and sent messages on my phone several times to confirm that yes, they really had confirmed my prize was coming, and yes, I had given them the correct seat--they knew how to find me. Finally, in the 4th inning, really not very deep into the game, I saw them coming and couldn't wipe the smile off my face. They handed my prize down the row and as I dug through it, I was quite impressed by the lavish gifts I had been given. They were door prizes from previous games, but considering I hadn't been to those games, I hadn't technically "earned" those items.
Now, this whole thing might be a stretch, but I found some parallels to other ares of my life. Forgive me if it seems like I am degrading the holiness of God, but this is a rudimentary metaphor.
1) Like @TheRealMariners, God promises good gifts. We don't know what gifts we'll receive or when we'll receive them. At this point in my life, I've suffered some hard times and am waiting on God to reveal his good gifts: an ambition, a job/career path that I will love, a husband... the list could continue. I don't know when God is going to bring me these things, or even if these specific items are in the grab bag he's assembled for me. But something's coming, and it's good.
2) God's gifts are unearned. Just like I didn't acquire those items by following the rules and attending those games, I can't acquire God's gifts based on my own merits.
3) Along these same lines, sometimes I try really hard to earn my gifts. I worked harder than I needed to on the poster, and essentially I received the prize because I follow @TheRealMariners. I can try to be good, I can try to please God, I can try to help others, I can try to better myself...but the gifts I receive from God are because I'm his child, a co-heir with Christ.
4) I struggle with patience. I wanted to know what those prizes were so badly, it was painful! Similarly, I struggle with waiting on God to see who he puts into my life, among others. When it took longer than I hoped to get my prize tonight at the baseball game, I began to doubt a little bit. 11 weeks ago, when the guy I thought was "the one" dumped me, and I realized that gift wasn't there yet, I wondered if it would ever come.
I got my prizes at the game tonight, and they were more abundant, and of better quality than I expected. As God reveals his good gifts to me, I fully expect to be blown away in a similar manner: I will receive gifts more abundant and of perfect quality, for which I have done nothing to deserve.
Like I said, this is a rough metaphor. Its nowhere near perfect. Maybe it's a stretch. But I do see the parallels. And it encourages me to be patient. Who would have thought that God taught lessons to people sitting in the nosebleeds at Safeco Field?
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