Letters From Grandpa #530

• LETTERS FROM GRANPA
• 530

Dearest grandchild.

Today’s letter will be about bragging about bargains. Wise King Solomon wrote: “It’s no good, it’s no good!” says the buyer; then off he goes and boasts about his purchase.” (Proverbs 20:14) A similar truth was spoken by Ahab of Israel to Ben-Hadad of Aram as they were about to go to war. Ahab correctly observed: “One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off.” (1 Kings 20:11) We definitely need wisdom from God in the way we invest our lives for the devil is a scammer and master deceiver!

Today’s story began in 1965 in the French city of Arles. A 47 year old notary named Andre- Francois Raffay seemed to have stumbled on to a bargain. French law provides for someone to buy an apartment “en viager” which means “for life.” Raffay found a 90 year old widow named Jeanne Calment who owned an apartment. She agreed to sign over her apartment to him, and he agreed to pay her a monthly stipend of 2,500 francs as long as she lived. This was supposed to “guarantee” her needed income for life, and “guarantee” him a home at a bargain price when she died.

The problem was that Jeanne Calment did not die until 30 years later on August 4. 1997. At that time she was in the record books as living 122 years and 164 days. She rode a bicycle until she was 100, smoked cigarettes every night after supper, and once told an interviewer “I have never been ill, never ever.” On the day of her death she dined on foie gras, duck thighs, cheese and chocolate cake.”

Poor old Raffay didn’t do so well. He died in 1995 at the age of 77. This was two years before Calment died. He payed her 2,500 francs a month for 30 years and never got to spend a single day in her apartment. Adding insult to injury, his heirs had to continue paying Calment for another two years until she died. During these 32 years Raffay and his heirs paid approximately twice the market value of the apartment. Jeanne Calment commented dryly: “In life, sometimes one makes bad deals.”

Many years ago a wonderful woman in our church asked me to visit her 19 year old grandson who was in the hospital with pneumonia. I honored her wish! The young man was on oxygen in ICU. I prayed for him and left the hospital with optimism. He was young and medical science has developed many ways to treat pneumonia. I was shocked, however, to hear a few days later that he had passed away. Then I was told that he had pneumonia because he had AIDS. Apparently this young man had stumbled upon what he thought was a “bargain” with sex and drugs. He was wrong! Jeanne Calment was correct when she said: “In life, sometimes one makes bad deals.”

• Granny and I went to school in Tulsa with Floyd Edward Cumby. When we moved to Carthage in 1965 Floyd was in the Jasper County Jail fighting a burglary charge in Joplin. Strangely, however, he willingly implicated himself in a double murder in Louisiana and did not fight extradition. Leon Wallace, a Christian friend and police officer in Carthage, correctly concluded that Floyd had “cut a deal” with the police in Louisiana. After being released in Louisiana he came to Tulsa and murdered two women in an apartment at 18th and Boston. It apparently had something to do with a deal on diamonds that went bad. Interestingly, this was right across the street from Fire Station
• 5 where your Great Grandpa H.B. Mouton worked. Sadly, Floyd died while serving a life sentence in the McAlester State Penitentiary. Again Jeanne Calment was correct: “In life, sometimes one makes bad deals.”

Please don’t make money your God! A true servant of God cannot be bought with money. Jesus said: “You cannot serve both God and money!” (Matthew 6:24). When Belshazzar wanted someone to read the handwriting on his wall he promised Daniel: “If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”

“Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.” ( (Daniel 5:16)-17)

The same was true of the Prophet Elisha. After healing Naaman of leprosy - “Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.” The prophet answered, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.” And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.” (2 Kings 5:15-16)

The servant of Elisha, Gehazi, however thought he saw a “bargain. He followed after Naaman and told a lie. He said: “My master sent me to say, ‘Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing.’” “By all means, take two talents,” said Naaman.” (2 Kings 5:22- 23)

This turned out to be a bad bargain for Gehazi for “Elisha said to him, “Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money or to accept clothes—or olive groves and vineyards, or flocks and herds, or male and female slaves? Naaman’s leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever.” Then Gehazi went from Elisha’s presence and his skin was leprous—it had become as white as snow.” (2 Kings 5:26-27)

Before letting Satan deceive you into selling your soul for a “bargain”, please listen to this wise counsel from Jesus: “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:36-37)

I love you,

Grandpa Boyce