Danny Simpson of Ottawa, Canada, made two tragic mistakes in 1990. Desperate for money, Simpson decided to rob a bank. He visited the bank every day for a week to plan his hold up, and then, the night before, Danny had dinner with his parents. While mom and dad were cleaning up the dishes, he slipped into his parent’s bedroom and took the 45-caliber pistol from the drawer in the nightstand beside his father’s bed.
The next day, Simpson made off with two bags of cash worth over $6,000 from the bank. When the Mounties reviewed the surveillance tapes, they quickly identified Simpson as a “frequent visitor” and made the arrest.
Danny Simpson made two big mistakes. The first was robbing a bank, and the second was using his father’s pistol. While Simpson stole $6,000 from the bank, his father’s gun was a very rare 1918 .45-caliber Colt semi-automatic made by the Ross Rifle Company valued at over $100,000! The pistol went to a Canadian museum, and Simpson went to jail.
As Christians, we might desire the gifts someone else has: their respect, ability to teach, or sing, but God has given each one of us unique skills (Romans 12:6-8) that make us special. What’s your gift?