It's too hard?

I have a hobby. It's a strange one I admit, but every now and then I find myself at a website. It's a Texas website for unclaimed money (www.window.state.tx.us/up) and I'll put in every name I know. I just started a new job, and being in Human Resources gives me access to the names of every staff employed within the last 3 years at least. I could go farther back if I wanted to, but I'm not that bad yet. But as I rack my brain trying to remember a name, every now and then I get lucky, and one of the names I try pulls up some unclaimed money the person is owed.

In the last year since I've started this little hobby, I've told a lot of people about their money. But I haven't told everyone. Sometimes the amount is too small, and that fact coupled with me not knowing them too well, often means I'll sit on the information. Also, one of the things that keeps me from telling just anyone about their money, is the fact that a lot of those I've told seemed to think claiming it would be too difficult.

It's a mental block that people seem to have. It's government run, it's money, so it's assumed that it's not going to be easy to claim. I understand the logic, but the truth of the matter is, there's actually only one small form with easy to answer questions, and then you make a copy of id's proving you are the person that the money is owed to. You mail it in, and voila! a couple of months later you get money in the mail. The wait also seems to daunt them. It's not immediate, and somehow the fact that you might wait 2 months for the check to arrive makes your $36.12 less important.

As I mentally complained about all the people in the world that aren't willing to collect their money, I realized I do the same with God.

It's too hard to be one of those people God speaks to, works through, performs miracles by.
When in actuality, all it takes is submitting to Him, talking to Him, loving Him.
It takes too long to see results. I prayed, I submitted, I loved, but months later I'd only seen a few visions. I wanted more, and didn't want to wait.
Again, the wait doesn't make the prize less valuable.

As I read through list after list of names, some names bringing up more than 200 results so I'd have to narrow things down a bit, I wondered what the book would say if God kept a list of unclaimed authority. Maybe it'd read something like

Jones, Peter
Last contact 2/19/1998
Authority over sickness / healing gift - unclaimed.
To claim please contact issuing agent.
Claimant must present proof of adoption.

I wonder what Gods lists would look like. How many have gifts they just don't use?

Every now and then I'll do a search for any random name like "John Smith" within a town. And at times, I've found people owed thousands of dollars. And they just haven't claimed it. They don't realize it's there. I have to tell you, everything in me wants to call up a perfect stranger when I see those kinds of numbers. And I have. Would you believe I had to leave a message?

For a lot of people, even if it's a small amount it's enough to change a week, pay a bill, or buy that tank of gas you needed for the week. But hundreds of thousands of dollars lies unclaimed. For no reason other than either they're unwilling to put the effort out to grab it, or quite simply no one has told them.

This unclaimed money has taught me a good deal about salvation. I'm hesitant to tell strangers about FREE MONEY. Did you get that? FREE MONEY. All you have to do is claim it.
FREE!
MONEY!!
How much harder would it be to convince someone to claim something as vague sounding as spiritual growth?
Or how about calling up a stranger to tell them of free salvation they might not be aware of?
Oh brother.