It’s been just a few weeks since I was frantic to decorate my house before my retirement party. As I mentioned in a previous post, I rejoiced when I was able to cash in on that “Senior discount” for the first time. In just 3 days time I went from a vanilla house to one in which I was really proud of. All of the furnishings I had purchased gave warmth to my house and made it feel like a home. Before my shopping spree I had two pictures on my walls, pillows on my sofa and love seat that were too small and a lamp that was dated to say the least. In my kitchen there was one picture and lots of “stuff” cluttering my counters. Nothing at all on my walls in the foyer and office so I was desperate to find just the right things and at the best price possible since I was going to essentially decorate the entire front part of my house. While shopping there were sale signs everywhere. Discounts of 50% off or more, and buy one get one free or half off was in most of the stores. There was one item in particular that I fell in love with but it didn’t have a price tag on it and I couldn’t find a sales clerk anywhere. So, I put it in the cart along with all the other items and headed to the front of the store to check out. I asked the clerk to tell me the price on the item since there wasn’t a tag, and to let me know if it was on sale or not. As luck would have it (or not), the item was not on sale but was still at a good price. Everything else was 50% off or more so I decided to purchase my favorite thing and pay full price. The next day my two girlfriends came over and helped me hang things on the wall and rearrange furniture and book shelves. And at the end of the day, there it was, my favorite piece, hanging on that small wall all by itself. It made all the difference in the world and brought a sense of peace to the room. I was so glad that I had decided to go ahead and buy that item for it was definitely worth the price that I paid. “You weren’t there the day he found me. When he wrapped his loving arms around me. You don’t know the cost of my alabaster box.” In Mark 14 as the chief priests and scribes were gathered, they were consulting on how to capture Jesus and put him to death. But it was the feast day and so they decided to wait so there would not be an “uproar” from the people. As Jesus was at Simon the leper’s house, a woman came to him with an alabaster box filled with ointment and she poured it out on his head. Some that were present started making comments on what a waste it was that she had done this because the oil or ointment could have been sold for a very high price and the money could have been given to the poor. But Jesus stepped in and told them to leave her alone. He said what she was doing was good. You see they still did not understand that He was about to die, and that her pouring on of the oil was preparing His body for the price He was about to pay for all mankind. I believe that that night as she poured the oil on His head, that she had a moment with Christ. I can only imagine that while she was doing this she knew what was about to happen and it consumed her to tears, which then led to her washing his feet and drying them with her hair. She was willing to give Him her most precious possession because she loved him so much. We as sinners pay the price everyday when we decide we don’t have time to commune with the Father. Oh, how much better the day and our lives would be if we would give Him our all. He paid the ultimate price for our sins when He died on the cross. He wants us to give Him what’s in our alabaster box.