Just over a year ago you might remember seeing a really old ambulance being driven around town. It belonged to Edmonton business owner Alex Archbold of Curiosity, Inc.. He had come to Provost to check out an abandoned house (known now as the Potter’s House) because it was absolutely packed to the rafters with stuff. Taking a chance, he bought the whole house, contents and all. The idea was to separate out the antiques and collectables for sale and restore the house to a livable condition.

The year before this same businessman took a chance on an old framed picture of Bambi that a homeless guy named Adam found in a dumpster. Adam was just happy that someone would pay $20.00 for it. Some time later a closer look revealed a certificate of authenticity hidden behind the drawing. It was a Walt Disney original! The copyright was 1937, a full five years before the film Bambi was released by Disney studios.

You might say that Alex Archbold had a good eye for seeing the potential value in something that perhaps was overlooked by others. The Potter’s House had belonged to Mary Borgstrom and was probably going to be bulldozed. The picture of Bambi was discarded like a worthless piece of garbage. What was seen as too much work or trash by some was seen as having value by someone with an eye for it.

In the same way Jesus had a keen eye for seeing the value in people that others had missed. The religious leaders, for example, cared more about appearances and rules than the people they were supposed to be serving. They were pretty much unapproachable by regular folks. Page after page in the scriptures expose their hypocrisy.

On the other hand, Jesus spent time with “tax collectors and sinners” and was accused of being a “glutton and drunkard” because he hung out with those with questionable reputations.

The sick came to him and went away healed. The poor were elevated. The demon possessed were given their lives back. Children were blessed. Foreigners were heroes in his stories. And those who had done sinful things were forgiven. Even the thief on the cross next to him was valued in Jesus’ promise that they would soon be together in paradise.

Do you sometimes wonder if your life has any real value? Perhaps you’ve been told that you’re too old or not old enough. Are you sick or in poor health? Do you have trouble keeping a job? Are addictions sucking the life out of you at an alarming rate?

Regardless of what you’re facing or what you’ve been told by others, you have value almost beyond belief. How do I know this? Because Jesus, the Son of God, gave his own life to pay the debt that you could not pay. That, my friend, gives you incredible value!

By the way, Alex, the Edmonton business man, sold the Bambi picture for $3,700.00 in an auction. Incredibly, he found the homeless man and gave him half of the profit. Mr. Archbold not only saw value in the Disney picture but, more importantly, in the homeless man as well. I am happy to report that Adam has returned to home and family in Ontario after three years of living on the streets in Edmonton. All of this because someone saw value in him.