It had been years since I ventured out on Black Friday. I'll admit there was a little bit of excitement at the thought of getting good deals on my Christmas gifts so this past Thanksgiving weekend, my sister-in-law and I got up early and headed in to mingle with the other crazy holiday shoppers.

The story I'm about to share is not so much about shopping but about cancelled debt. But first some groundwork. Okay, Becky and I go into Macy's as I want to buy my sweetie a dress coat. Well, I found one. A really nice one. The price tag? $350.00. Ouch. That's definitely not in my budget. Then I see a sign that says 50% off. Okay, a little better. Then another sign. Take an additional 10% off if you open a Macy's credit card. And an additional 15% for using your card on this particular day. Alright, I might be able to do this. Now, let me interject here that Doug and I are on a debt-free path. We don't use credit cards. If you look in our wallets you'll find a debit card, Costco card and a library card. Well, at least in mine. Doug is allergic to books. Okay, and a Taco Del Mar punch card but I'm getting off track. Point is, we use cash for everything and on one other occasion, I opened a store credit account to receive the introductory savings and had it paid off before the bill came in the mail. That's who we are.

Well, that's who I am now. But it wasn't always that way and that brings me back to my story. So, here I am with a handsome new black dress coat for my best friend for Christmas. I cheerfully lay down my purchase at the register and am greeted by and even cheerier cashier and I tell her I would like to apply for the Macy's store credit card. We smile our way through the process and I listen to how crazy it had been earlier in the morning as we await the results and get an approval code. My smile soon faded as I find out that I was denied credit. Excuse me. What? How can I be denied? I know this isn't a case of no credit looks like bad credit because I have open credit cards with zero balances. But, not too many that I look like a liability. I knew how the credit process worked, I was in banking for six years. This doesn't make me an expert but I was definitely taken aback by the discouraging news. Well, the still smiling cashier rummages through her pile of newspapers and finds a coupon that grants me a 10% savings so I can still buy the coat. Thank you, cheery Macy's worker.

Now, I'm on a mission to find out why I was denied. Actually, I forgot about it until the letter came that said, you recently applied for credit...blah, blah, blah...you were denied...blah, blah, blah...here's the number you can call to find out why you're such a loser. LOL. Okay, I dial the number and find out that back in 1994 I had a charge of $159 and some change on a Meier and Frank card and the last payment received was in 1995. Oh yes, back in 1994. I had graduated from High School and went crazy with credit. I wasn't surprised at the charge, I was surprised it was still showing up. This debt shouldn't be there. I seriously thought I had covered all my past debts, including the ones that went to collection agencies, in the summer of 1999 when I was graciously given a debt consolidation loan from my employer at the time, South Umpqua Bank. How did we miss Meier and Frank. And what about the seven year rule? Or even the ten year rule? Apparently, those rules don't apply to Meier and Frank, now known at Macy's. The debt is not active, meaning they aren't trying to collect on it, but as long as it shows on their record, I can't get a credit account. Ever.

This made me think about my debt to Creator God. My sin is an offense to His Holy nature. I deserve to be punished forever in a literal lake of fire because of my rebellion and hatred to His law. I was dead in my sins. I owed a debt that I couldn't pay. Even an eternity in hell wouldn't satisfy God's demand for righteousness.

Oh, but praise be to God almighty that He plucked me out of my hopeless state. Glory to God that Jesus Christ became the One who paid a debt He didn't owe on my behalf. Colossians 2:13-14 soothes the weary soul. And you, who were dead in your trespasses...God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with it's legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross. Hallelujah! And Psalm 103:12, As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us.

My sin is no longer on the record books. Even when I continue to sin! Jesus paid it all. I will never be denied my access to God. I will never receive a letter that reminds me of my mistakes and sin. Jesus Christ redeemed me. He purchased my life with His own. He died so that I could go free. Oh, the unexplainable joy and gratitude that fills my heart. No wonder we will have an eternity to praise the Lamb.

One last thought. I heard this from John MacArthur. He said, "Folks may admit they aren't perfect. But what they need to see is the sin in their good." Nothing we do on our own will merit favor with God. What are you trusting in? Unless you see yourself as a broken sinner running as fast as you can toward destruction, in need of a Savior, the wrath of God still abides on you. John 3:36, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him."

Come to the One who absorbed that wrath and claim the promise, "For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 5:9