The front page of our Des Moines Register last Sunday featured a two-page story about 13-year-old Eric Fischer from Dubuque. It told of his struggle with cancer beginning two year's earlier, about his family and him, and his hobbies and interests.

He and his family liked everything connected with baseball. On his list of "things he wanted to do', Eric wanted to go to New York to see a Yankees baseball game. And as so many times happens, someone in New York got their family "hard-to-find" Yankees tickets To top everything off, he got to meet his baseball hero Roger Clemens.and received a baseball signed by his hero.

As a guest speaker at a Make-A-Wish fundraiser back home some time later, Eric did the unthinkable.....he offered to put his prized possession up for sale to help with the fund drive.

He hoped the ball would help raise $100, but the auction started with an opening bid of $1,000. One man bid and a table of friends bid back. On and on the bidding process went until the last bid of $4200 went to the strange man in the midst, not the friends. The article concluded, "The man rose from his seat and came forward. He took the ball from Eric----the boy's most prized possession in the whole world...........then be gave it back."

I read the story and couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by all the people written about.

Then I thought, "This is exactly what Jesus did for me.....and for all of us. He asks us to put our lives on the auction block. To give up all that we have. To know that we are giving away something very valuable. But just when we think the auction is over and our prized possession is gone.......He rises and says, 'I am giving your life back to you to be used for my purposes!'

Like the gang in Dubuque who has more dollars for Make-A-Wish Foundation and the autographed ball, we too have our lives and lots more added to it.....