I Already Hit the Jackpot

Today we were talking about Romans in our Sunday School class. I was reminded of a story I heard when I worked for Seminaries and Institutes. I think it all took place maybe in Connecticut.

There was a nonreligious young man with a very sick father. The father who couldn't really get out of bed but to pass the time he liked to check the power ball numbers. His son would buy him a lottery ticket every day for him to check. Well his father got more and more sick and was less and less interested in checking the numbers. Eventually the numbers were just stuffed into a drawer and forgotten about.

They later were watching the news and heard that the winning numbers had been purchased but they were never claimed and if they hadn't been claimed that night by midnight the prize would be forfeited. They searched the drawer and found that they had the winning ticket. It was late and the Lottery office was closed. He decided that he could just go there when the office reopened and they would give him the millions, not knowing that he could take the ticket to any convenience store that sold lottery tickets to claim his winnings. He was told by the lottery offices that he missed the deadline and he would not be able to claim the funds.

He fell into a deep depression and his friends could see how unhappy he was so some decided to invite him to Institute class. He continued to work through his depression and eventually became converted and decided to be baptized. At his baptism he spoke and said that he was glad he didn't win the money because he knows he would not have done good things with it. He was grateful to have the gospel instead.

So in class today, we read this...

 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:17-18

It just made me think about how we have already won more than the Lottery. If you want to look at it in terms of luck we who have the gospel of Jesus Christ are some of the luckiest people that have ever lived on planet earth. Sure that belief requires faith but I imagine the reward we will receive will be eternal and worth much more than can be given to us in this life.

I also really like this video from Prager U about gratitude. The more grateful we are for Heavenly Father, his plan and his Son, the happier we will be in life.