When plumbers told us a kitchen
faucet had problems, we thought we might try to buy a replacement part from the
manufacturer. When we called, we were excited to learn it could be replaced at
no cost to us.
The representative said, “We
provide a lifetime guarantee on all our faucets.”
Later when a similar thing
happened to a bathroom faucet, we searched for the model on their website to
get a model number. When we didn’t find it, we emailed pictures of the faucet
to the company. Later, a representative restated their lifetime guarantee and
said, “We’ve discontinued that model, but you may choose from any of our other faucets,
and we will provide the whole thing free of charge.” These replacements saved
us hundreds.
Lifetime guarantee. When’s the
last time you heard that phrase? Companies used to offer them routinely when so
many prided themselves in their work, but those ideas are often considered
outdated.
I searched for “companies with
lifetime guarantees” and found about twenty that still have them including the famous
one up in Maine to whom my husband sent a twenty-five-year-old pair of hunting
shoes back to be re-soled. Sure enough, they returned them— same boots—new soles. You have to love a company like that.
On the
subject of lifetime guarantee, we sometimes forget about the ones we have as
believers—the strong assurances of God’s love. They are not to be
glossed over but held closely to our heart and used to build a foundation in
our lives. The hymn writer wrote, “Standing on the promises that cannot fail. .
. by the living word of God I shall prevail.”
Here are a
few of so very many:
“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews13:5).
“I give
them eternal life and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of
my hand” (John 10:28).
“Heaven and
earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matthew 25:35).
“Those who
know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek
you” (Psalm 9:10).
“I tell you
the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life
and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24).
“Peace I
leave with you: my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.
Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 15:27).
“Therefore,
there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through
Christ Jesus the law of the Spirt of life set me free from the law of sin and
death” (Romans 8:1).
“Love never
fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8).
“For no
matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘yes’ in Christ. And so, through
him the ‘amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God’ (2 Corinthians 1:20).
I could go
on, but you get the picture. Lifetime guarantees are exciting, but the guarantees
God makes are not just for a lifetime but for all eternity.
So, whether
we’re sending a pair of old boots back or an old faucet, it’s a reminder of the
greater guarantees we have in Jesus. And unlike the temporal guarantees, God’s
promises will never be auctioned off to the highest bidder or lost in a company
restructuring.
No wonder we call it “good news.” (Luke 2:10).
Beverly Varnado is the author of several small town romances from Anaiah Press including her latest, A Season for Everything. All are available at Amazon. A memoir, Faith in the Fashion District, from Crosslink Publishing is also available as well as her other books, Give My Love to the Chestnut Trees and Home to Currahee. She also has an Etsy Shop, Beverly Varnado Art.
To explore the web version of One Ringing Bell, please visit bev-oneringingbell.blogspot.com
Beverly Varnado copyright 2022