"And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that?" -- Mark 14:3-4

I remember the day that I announced the call of God in my life to the Gospel ministry. My parents, who were believers, were somewhat disturbed that I would "waste" my life and as a result be poor. They believed that my skills were better used in more profitable pursuits. They failed to see the value of doing a "beauty thing" in serving Jesus.

Forty-four years have passed since that day and I can say without hesitation that it has been a "beautiful thing" to serve the Lord. The life that is lived for Jesus will never be a waste. As the story of this woman has been recorded in the Scriptures, her story has marked the lives a more than can be counted. Her honor has only been exceeded by her impact on those who have poured out everything for the sake of Christ. That my friend, is a "beautiful thing".

The words of the martyred missionary Jim Elliot still ring true... "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."