Better Buy the Warranty..Something's Gonna' Break

What to Do with the Losses That Break Us...

You know, they don’t define us...but perhaps our responsive strategies do.

Consciously or unconsciously, ALL OF US WILL DO SOMETHING with our losses...cry over them, forget them, ignore them, deal with them, learn and grow because of them.

...Ideally, I think of them as deposits that need adjusting, and we have a few choices here....

• file the loss in the file cabinet, the trash can, the memory cache.
• open a safety deposit box so deposits can always be taken out for review. This requires some effort: going to the bank, keeping up with the key, being escorted to the box, etc. (making it hard to dig them out again)
• add them to the savings account of life events...along with all the others that are happier, more successful...just put it all together and name it the ‘life happens’ account - hopefully it grows to better value.
• invest them so that they build and grow into something much more positive and completely unrelated to the original deposit.
• use the deposit to start a lay-a-way plan. Just put the loss on a shelf and wait to reclaim it as you become more equipped to fix it, OR let the time run out and someone else can toss it for you. Walk on, seemingly unscathed.

I’ve done all of the above over my lifetime! But with experience, strategies begin to develop...and we then approach life and its gains and losses with more confidence, more finesse. Over time, I developed a sort of warranty approach...everything in life comes with warranties - limited or unlimited. I’m not sure many people think about this...hum. Just think of the possibilities a warranty affords.

First, warranties are legit, authentic...follow the rules and you’ll have some predictable, possible outcomes! Walking too far out on a limb guarantees a fall. Holding on to one’s security guarantees a lonely and profitless life. But turning in the broken product as per the warranty's policy renders a ‘fix it.’

Second, warranties offer some hope. Some life happenings seem irreparably ruined...but in the hands of a Master Tradesman...voila!...like new again. Let’s not forget that sometimes we just get a brand new replacement...the old one trashed at the source. Whatever the case, we like to be renewed or upgraded.

There IS a Master Tradesman and He transforms things everyday. The customer service number is manned 24/7, the repair can be permanent, and the cost is nominal, sometimes FREE! Like the proverbial TV ad man in front of a massive auto lot, he calls, "Come on by!!!" I think of the Sunday morning auto show that features two guys with guarantees that your finances cannot be so bad that you can’t buy a car from them...wow...now that’s a nice guarantee if you’re desperate for a car!

And the Master Tradesman’s guarantee?....

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly."  Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message)

Imagine a warranty attached to your newest appliance or television set or your newly purchased home. You receive the warranty brochure and open it to see the instructions, warranted items, and the long list of exceptions....but you find these words:

Come to me. 1-800-iwillgiveyourest

 Perhaps you should purchase it.

 December 18, 2015