Cheap Socks

Did I get your attention? Have you ever had a package of cheap socks and they just fall apart and have holes in them after only wearing them a few times? It is something that is frustrating, you spend money on something and it just does not last. One of the things that I have found out in life is that the cheapest thing is not the least expensive, especially if you must replace it shortly after you purchase it, or it does not work like it really should, or you get so frustrated with it that you get mad and throw it away.

I remember one time that I bought a cheap drill because I did not think that I would need it often. After using it two times, I got so mad at it that I gave it away and bought a better one. I have always found that there are a few things that you need to spend the extra money on to make sure that you get something of quality. A few of those things are tools, tires, shoes, and Oreos (generic Oreos just do not taste right.)

Many times, we also do not take care of those things that are cheap or free. I know someone who has stopped outright buying things for his children that are not necessary after they failed to take care of some things and told him, “Why should I take care of it, we can just get another one.” What he does now is, if one of his children wants something, they must do something to earn it. They have to do chores, help out a sibling, or something else good to get what they want. This makes them realize that things that they want in life are earned, and things that are earned are things we want to take care of.

I sometimes think that we forget that our grace was earned for us and given to us for free, and I have to admit that I forget this at times. We have the opportunity to accept the free gift of grace that Jesus Christ has earned for us. He did the work and gives it to us for free or cheaply, only requiring us to follow the example that He set. I know that it is not always easy to follow the Christian life, but it is something that we are called to do. We sometimes do not take care of our faith because it is free to us and it is something that we can do freely. In other regions of the world, following the faith is not so easy and, in some cases, it is dangerous to practice the faith. In China a few years ago, there were a group of Catholics in a church for Mass and they were thrown out of the church and the building was destroyed because it was not part of the government sanctioned Church. The interesting thing about our “cheap” grace is that it is a very precious thing; it was paid for with an expensive price, with the blood of Christ. It was bought and paid for and then given to us for free, and the only thing we need to do to get it is to accept it and follow our Lord and Savior who wants to give us this gift that no amount of money can pay for.

God bless,
Fr. Ken