[192 words]
Before officials at the Golden Gate Bridge of San Francisco started using electronic tolling, drivers had to pay cash to cross the bridge. Sometimes, people found themselves at the toll booth without the money necessary to make the crossing. The drivers couldn’t turn around because of the intense traffic.
So, the toll booth operators came up with a solution. The driver could leave something of value and could redeem it the next day.
Over the years, drivers left such items as: a set of silverware, a new book, or a wedding band. One fellow left his dentures. Sometimes, the drivers, by choice or by forgetfulness, failed to redeem the items. In fact, one guy failed to redeem a diamond Rolex worth thousands of dollars.
This caused one preacher to remark: “In order to get to the other side, they had to leave something behind.”
This is a modern-day parable for our lives. In order to get to heaven (the other side), we have to leave something behind: our old selves.
This is what the Bible means by crucifying our old lives of sin (Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:1-11; Colossians 3:3).
Larry Fitzgerald
Woodlawn church of Christ
Abilene, TX