Cash the cheque.

When I was studying in theological college I had a habit that was a little unusual. Monday's was "duties day" when all were expected to do some elements of cleaning or painting around the college. I used to work as a teacher Mondays to pay the bills, and then pick up duties Tuesday afternoons. I used to mow lawns on the ride on lawn mower, until I rolled it, twice. Then they gave me the job of painting the carports, while the cars were in them. They should have learnt faster that I was not real good with these sort ofthings. I returned to college one Tuesday morning and a student friend said "Steve, you should have been here yesterday." I laughed and said "Why. What happened?" He said very sternly "No! You should have been here! Someone flew up from Canberra in a black suit and black sunglasses. A Government type. He wanted to see you! What's it about?" I gulped! Some one from the government wanted to see me? Over the next two weeks each day either a lecturer or a student would ask me what it was about. Every day I grew more nervous. One day I answered the phone in the men's block. "Hello yes this is Steve Grose" "I flew up from Canberra to see you. Where were you? " "I was teaching. What did you want to see me about?" "You received a cheque several years ago that you have not yet cashed ! Do you know where it is?" "Yes its in my wallet, but its pretty faded!" "You must cash that cheque today!" "But I don't have time to cash it today!" "Haven't you received the letters we sent to you every three months demanding that you cash that cheque?" "Well yes, but .. look, if you make the cheque out for more I'll cash it today, but it will take me a half hour to walk to the bank to cash it right now, and I don't think its worth it." "You must cash that cheque today!" "Can I send you some stamps for the amount? Maybe you can take me off your mailing list" "You have caused our accounting systems to crash every year over that unpresented cheque!" "Really? A Cheque for seven cents can do that much damage to the Australian economy?" I had kept a cheque for 7 cents for years because it was for such a ludicrously small amount, and I almost brought our economy to ruin! So much so that the Dept of Education in Canberra had sent a government agent to track me down and MAKE me present that cheque!" Now you have an unpresented cheque, but it's in a book! John 3:16. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."