Cutting Coupons

I was praying today and before I really knew what I was saying, I found myself repeating the second line of Psalm 19:14. It really caused me to begin thinking because (and here I go again) of how we overlook many words in the english language.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

be pleasing in your sight, oh L

ord my Rock and my Redeemer.

Redeem is one of those words that have two meanings both with slightly different definitions (in English Language Arts speak, a homonym). Of course we get the general 'to save from sins' that basically fits the essence of Christianese with every syllable but the other definition that I came into contact with was the following.

redeem |riˈdēm|verb [ trans. ]2 gain or regain possession of (something) in exchange for payment : his best suit had been redeemed from the pawnbrokers.• exchange or turn-in (a coupon, voucher, or trading stamp) for something in exchange

I quite liked the second part with reference to coupons. It reminds me of John 15:16 when it says 'You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit- fruit that will last. Then the father will give you whatever you ask for in my name.'

I love that image, how before my parents were even born, he had a plan for me. Then along came my mum and dad, they lived their separate lives until they bumped into each other one day. Months after that, years after dating, they decided to get married. From marriage... well I shan't get into the details of a grade 12 biology class but even then, he had a plan for my life, knowing the people I would affect and the friendships I would form.

He chose me to follow him and when I stepped up to the plate and said 'Yeah, I'll lay down my obsession with worldly crap and pick up my cross for you', the bible says that '[it's quite] the party God's angels throw every time one lost soul returns to God' (Luke 15:10).

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I was with a friend a few weeks ago and his mum was cutting up a newspaper into various sized squares and placing them lovingly in a plain white envelope. Not getting the newspaper at my house, I thought she was cutting out classified ads for homes for rent (my friend is thinking about moving out) but once I asked what she was doing, it turned out they were coupons.

Don't get me wrong, I am quite careful with my money (almost anally so-- big plans ahead!) but I cannot say I've ever purposely cut out coupons to help me with my shopping (not that I shop very often or anything).

As I was thinking about this idea of redemption and the basic, comprehensible meaning for the english word redeem, this memory of cutting out coupons came to me.

My overactive imagination can picture Jesus sitting on a set of golden steps with a newspaper in one hand and a pair of pink safety scissors in the other. He would carefully page through the coupons, reading each one intently but pause only to stop and cut out particular ones. Beside his clean and sandalled feet lies a woven evergreen basket with several coupons already in it.

Jesus would take the newest addition to his coupon collection and let it go above the basket, watching it flutter to land artistically on the others.

He saw me, he cut me out and took a trip down to the opposite end to meet with the enemy.

This one is mine, please. He would say handing over the coupon and like that, the angels threw quite the party.

I will walk after you, really trying hard to live out your teachings. I won't be perfect but you'll help me, right?