We like to eat a cold cereal from a company Called “Nature’s Path.” They are good and healthy cereals. Minimal and wholesome ingredients. To be honest, we don’t eat a lot of cold cereal, but we do like this brand.
The other day we got some of it and in a hurry, hungry, and needing nourishment, we gleefully poured them into our bowls for some long awaited, mouth-watering food. On top of that, we poured our Silk(r) soymilk on top of it, cut on some bana slices and were prepared to thoroughly chew the cud as we enjoyed our breakfast together.
CRACK! OUCH! What was that?
As we analyzed what just transpired, about the same time, Gail and I chomped down with our incisors on a rock-hard lump of cereal, about the size of a shelled peanut. Turns out there were a large number of them in the container of cereal. Turns out they were in the next bag of cereal as well. What began to materialize is as the cereal was processed, these pellets were produced and then the machinery rolled them out into flakes. Except as this collection of flakes was assembled, they forgot to press these pellets into flakes. Thus, we experienced mini-boulders in our cereal that were intimidating our teeth. Ever after, as we undertook to eat from this sack of cereal, we would chew at a leisurely pace. Until we forgot and didn’t.
CRACK! OUCH! Oh Yeah!
Now, I’ve been perusing cereal boxes as breakfast enjoyment for years. Every cold cereal has a guarantee that if you aren’t satisfied it was the best they could do they would make good on it and give your filthy lucre back or more cereal. Have you ever taken them up on this? I have not. In fact, the audacity that I must first send them the box top with the specific code on it, and put my $.57 cent stamp on it…. Just keeps me unresponsive to their claims of a guarantee. However, when the second bag of cereal had the same little moon rocks in it, I decided to undertake the process. Fortunately for me, there was nothing required except a simple online form to fill out. I took the secondary step of uploading a picture of the little boulders that nearly sent me into early dentures.
I was like a dog with two tails when a week or two later, I received not one, not two, but 4 coupons for more cereal from Nature’s Path with profound “beg-our-pardon” note about the travesty we had experienced. I’m ready to use those coupons now, only this time, I’ll buy the Sunrise Flakes, rather than the Heritage Flakes. But I’m not averse to buying those again either, and since this brand is seeking to rescue the planet and doesn’t use boxes, only see-through bags, I’ll just investigate a little more before I wave the white flag to those little tombstones for teeth again.
What I am clear of is that the guarantee was good for its declaration. They came through. We, as Christians also have a guarantee as well:
Ephesians 1:14 (NCV)
14 That Holy Spirit is the guarantee that we will receive what God promised for his people …
2 Corinthians 1:22 (NCV)
22 He put his mark on us to show that we are his, and he put his Spirit in our hearts to be a guarantee for all he has promised.
2 Corinthians 5:5 (NCV)
5 This is what God made us for, and he has given us the Spirit to be a guarantee for this new life.
So, although I might have a valid contract with cereal companies, I have an authoritative word of honor and pledge to bring us to a new life in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. I will definitely buy “Nature’s Path” cereal again. Everyone has boo-boos. Even more, though, I will daily seek to obtain the power of the Holy Spirit in my life and live according to that Holy Spirit’s orientation.
