For more than 70 years, I believed sanity was a very important part of a person’s identity. Being sane enables one to be successful in life.
Who doesn’t want to be successful? All this came together last week.
I was working on a project that needed to be finished by the end of the month.
Then, my phone rang and the person calling said I’d won $5 million, plus a brand new Mercedes. I can’t tell you how happy I was.
Do you know what I could do with that kind of money? Neither do I.
“When can I expect my winnings?” I asked the guy on the phone.
“We can send it to you today,” he said very happily. “Just give us your address and it’ll be on its way.”
Then I had an unusual sane moment. Thinking about it, I asked, “How much is this going to cost me?”
“Oh, my lucky friend. All you have to do is pay a $1,500 processing fee and the package will be yours.”
Sanity started knocking on my door, and I thought: “It’ll only cost me $1500 to get $5 million and a $100,ooo vehicle. That shouldn’t be too much to ask for.”
Sanity began whispering in my ear, suggesting a question. So, I responded to the person on the phone and said, “That sounds great. Just deduct that $1500 from my $5 million winnings, and we’re good.”
From the other end of the phone, I heard, “Unfortunately, that’s not possible. I’ve already wrapped your cash money in a box and I’m not able to unwrap it and take money out. You’ll have to send me the $1500 through the gift card you can get at the store.”
I continued my phone conversation and asked an important question: “Sir, how do I know I can trust you to send me the money?”
He chuckled on the phone and then said most bravely, “You can trust me with anything. I’m not here to scam anybody, I’m just here to get your winnings to you as fast as possible. Believe me, you can trust me. Everybody does.”
He then sent me photographs of other people who’d had similar winning encounters. Responding to those pictures, I said, “How can you prove to me that those are real people with winnings and not some AI production?”
“Oh my friend,” he said most enthusiastically, “you can trust me, I’d never lie to someone.”
If this wasn’t a scam, I’ve never heard of one. I responded by saying, “When you send me my winnings, I’ll pay you the processing fee plus a $500 tip. How does that sound?”
The only sound I heard was “click.” I love it when my sanity shows up with a smile every once in a while.
As I was thinking about this, a verse of scripture came to mind.
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
— 2 Timothy 1: 7
True sanity comes from God. He gives me everything I need to be all He wants me to be. He is the only one I can truly trust, and that’s my daily discipline.
Dr. Snyder is a former pastor who lives with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, wife Martha, in Ocala, Fla. His email is [email protected].
