Account Settled

Posted on by Gary Fultz

I leaned against the counter in the local building center as the salesman, a friend, said “I have a story for you.” He rang up my bill as I said “put it on my wife’s account.” He chuckled “Ok, it looks like she has a credit on her account so that’s a good deal. It’s already paid!”

“The story?” I asked? (In the salesman’s words)”Yes. I just played piano for a funeral of one of your distant relatives. He would have been your mothers cousin. He had heart problems, surgery and then was doing really well but died suddenly. A couple days before he died, his son was visiting and asked his dad if he had ever settled his accounts with God. He said no I don’t think so. His son then told him about sin separating us from God, an unpayable debt. Jesus dying and paying the price with his life for our sin and offering everyone a restored relationship with God, he just had to receive that gift God offers us, a restored relationship with him now and forever. Yep, when he realized God had already paid for his account to be settled, he believed and wanted to pray and ask Jesus into his life…just like that. He died a couple days later. Peaceful, his son said”

I pondered the story of my distant relatives son, about my age, finally sharing the gospel with his dad, as I was excited to share my latest pictures with friends and siblings. Knowing God, just the possibility of his guidance and knowing that kind of love in my life is the most exciting thing one can ever know. Ironically, coincidence? I think not, my pictures fit the story here. take a look at pictures and explanations.

These are the last ermine tracks made before the ermine was raptered (ya, play on word for some of you). He was hopping along and an owl carried him away. The final side slots in the snow, coming towards us, is wing tips pushing up. He’s gone.

Guess who took over the ermine tunnels in the snow? This red squirrel wasted no time. If he stays there, well, the owl is watching.
Nearby in the woods: the final resting place for an old white tail buck. A stop-over resting place for birds like this downy woodpecker. The old weeds have died but their seeds will replant in the spring.

I took these pictures at the warmest part of the day (-9F) with a bitter cold wind chill of -30F. The squirrel held his paws as if cold and would not leave his warm tunnel under the snow. As it got colder through the day, 6 deer came and laid in the snow by our garden shed in the sun out of the wind. They just hope to survive the winter.

Today, I was reminded that so many people just go through life with an unclaimed gift they forget about. A gift better than the biggest winning lottery ticket ever. A now and forever gift.

So today I ask you if you have accepted God’s offer of a relationship with him. Now and forever. I’m asking about a relationship that God sought with us through Jesus. Here’s a start for looking further

Gary

I think often of you Kim. So sorry. You asked me why I was so happy and I blew it. I could have taken the time to share

27 thoughts on “Account Settled”

  2. They are similar to a weasel Manette. They turn white in winter and have a black tip on tail. They are a vicious predator for their size. Just not very big. Their bigger cousins are mink, ferret, pine martin, fisher and woverine.

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  3. Wow! God illustrated that perfectly for you before He gave you the story. That adds a unique perspective, for sure. And makes an important point very memorable. Thanks for sharing it, Gary!

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    1. Thanks Brian. Real life stuff that affects someone’s eternity. I keep looking for ways to know the weight of small decisions that may have long lasting effects. Words that weight the future. Only God can know but he shares with us on occasion.

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    1. So do I Kathy. We often don’t see it from where we sit but It’s reassuring when it happens. By living and walking in faith I think we see the dots connected where others see coincidence or nothing at all..

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  6. That little ermine probably never saw, or heard the owl coming. It’s the same way with us, we don’t know when our last breath or heart beat will be. One thing we do know is that after death comes judgment. If we know Christ, things will go much better for us.

    Great post and photos, Gary!

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    1. Thanks David. Somehow just looking at those tracks that end, standing there in the cold winter wind made it more real. Had to take a picture knowing it would not even come close to the actual feel of the moment.

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    1. I deeply appreciate your comment Nancy. I often fit the category of valiant attempts. It is good when pictures, stories and a main point matches. Then if one can wrap it up without loose ends and distractions…yes

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  9. What a beautiful story and pictures to go along with it! I am cold just hearing your temperatures. Praise God He gives us what we need to not just survive but thrive. In our neck of the woods, the groundhog saw his shadow, meaning six more weeks of winter (what a dumb tradition!). So glad that we know the truth that God is sovereign over everything including the weather. Many blessings to you and your family. I am so encouraged by your faith to live each day for Jesus in authenticity!

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    1. Thank You Mandy. It will get warmer though this next week. Squirrels will come out of hiding then. Last year ice went off the lakes in early May up here. The average ice off lakes here is April 20. God laughs at our feeble attempts to think we control the seasons by naming them and giving out dates, time periods and consulting rodents.

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  10. What I love most about the story is that your wife’s account had credit and that your bill had already been payed for, Gary!
    Because that’s what GOD does for us, isn’t it?
    It is my prayer that GOD will always bless you as you bless others – with your posts, pictures, stories and with serving HIM offline.
    May HE always pay for ALL you need and more in JESUS name!

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  11. That was fun for me Eva and it sure fit what I wanted to communicate about Christ paying our debt. My wife’s account is for upgrading our house and mine is for building the cabin. I had returned some materials for the cabin and they gave my wife credit for them. God’s book keeping is quite a bit more accurate.

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  12. What a powerful illustration God gave you, Gary, there in the cold and snow. It IS a fact of life. All of us could be here one moment, and gone the next! / Lord, keep me mindful how fragile we are. Compel me to boldly tell others about Jesus whenever the opportunity arises!

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  13. Such a story like this and knowing how Jesus paid our account always gets my eyes teary with grateful and humbled tears. Your picture of the raptered (loved the wordplay, especially as my mind automatically read it the other way had to stop and reread the caption) ermine drove home the powerful message of this testimony.

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  14. Im glad the story
    Got the point across Beth. I got a personal message from a reader that his son in law, when asked, did not know if his dad (92 and needing care) had any relationship with the Lord. He didnt know. Our reader told him ” you better not delay in sharing the gospel.
    When asked, the old man said he never thought God would accept him from things he had done in ww2. They prayed together 2 days before his dad met Jesus (short version).

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  15. I am reminded of years ago finding out I had unclaimed monetary property. It was stock from my grandmother. For years I had this money available to me, and didn’t even know it. Times when I was financially struggling and missed the means to meet those needs. So many people who have an account of salvation available to them and don’t even realize it. But oh, the gift of suddenly realizing the great treasure available. The debt owed that is now paid in full. Account settled. There’s no better story than one of a person coming to this realization. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. That’s a great story and quite an illustration with your unclaimed stock. It seems there are hundreds of ways that the framework of ones mind can be clouded to the realization of what God has done for us and in knowing and actually believing what God has in mind for our lives

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