Bible Reading: Ephesians 1:3-7; 1 Peter 1:18-19

"Sold!" proclaimed the fast-talking auctioneer, and Logan grinned at his mother. He found auctions fun and interesting, so he hadn't minded when she wanted to stop and see what was happening at this antique auction. "Another broken piece of junk sold to the highest bidder," Logan murmured, stifling a laugh. He liked to tease his mom about liking antiques.

Mom smiled and nudged him with her elbow. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," she told him. Logan shrugged and continued sitting on his hands as the auctioneer began selling an autographed baseball. Logan had learned to avoid lifting his hand during the bidding. Earlier he had started to scratch his head and the auctioneer thought he was bidding on the item being auctioned.

As they drove home after the auction, Logan asked his mom why people were so willing to spend their money on other people's junk. "I can't believe how much they'll pay for that stuff," he said. "I thought a few things they sold at the auction were cool, but people paid less for them than for stuff I wouldn't want if it were given to me! Who decides how much those things are worth?"

"The condition of the piece is important," said Mom, "and whether the item is rare or not is also a factor. But the bottom line is…well, how much someone is willing to pay for it. That's really what determines how much an item is worth."

Logan thought for a moment. "That's kinda like something we talked about in my class at church last week," he said. "Our teacher explained that God sent His Son to die for us--Jesus paid for our sins with His own life. I guess that makes us worth a lot!"

"I like that, Logan," Mom said. "I think you got a lot from that auction--even though you didn't buy anything."

Logan had one more question. "Um, Mom, what did I almost buy today when I scratched my head?"

"An old record player," Mom replied.

"Oh." Logan paused. "What's a record player?"

–Mike Dize