So Jesus said to the Twelve, “You don’t want to go away too, do you?” Simon Peter answered, “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life.” John 6:67-68
Well, I was surprised…in fact, just an inch shy of shocked. My wife Judy and I own a home at 217 West Poplar Street. With the home came a three-car garage…imagine that. Well, on top of the three-car garage is a two-bedroom apartment. Now truth be told, we weren’t looking for that when we bought 217…it kinda came with the deal and it really wasn’t a big deal to us. To make a long story shorter, back in 2008 we decided to spruce up the apartment. We weren’t really using it but since we owned it…it seemed logical. So, we put on a new roof and replaced the windows. Both were badly needed.
Those aren’t the kind of improvements people get really excited about but in our case, it turned out to be a good idea. You see, in 2016, Judy got the idea to open an Airbnb in the apartment. I was more than skeptical because, after all, no one comes to Harrisburg…a small Illinois town perched on the edge of nowhere. She pressed on and I ended up eating crow…several times. She proceeded to turn that apartment into an incredible space, and I discovered people do indeed come to Harrisburg…lots of people. You see that thing I saw as “nowhere” is near the Shawnee National Forest and is great for those who love the outdoors. So, thanks to Judy we now have a nice business sitting in our backyard.
Recently Judy came in the house and said that we had a problem with one of our replacement windows at the Apartment. She said that the lower glass was cloudy. Hmmm. That didn’t sound good in fact it sounded expensive. I went over and checked the window, and it indeed was hazy to say the least. I was pretty sure that we had purchased the windows from a company called, “Window World” and I knew they advertised a lifetime warranty. So, I checked and sure enough found a brand tag that said, “Comfort World” which I thought might be connected and a serial number. Armed with, “What do I have to lose?” I found the phone number for the nearest Window World office and called.
Soon, a nice lady was on the line, and I explained that I thought I had one of their products and it had an issue. She asked my address and phone number and quickly said, “Yes sir, you did purchase it from us.” She then asked for the serial number and then asked was it the upper or lower window and I said the lower. Now get ready. Are you sitting down? Without asking what was wrong; without asking how it happened; without anything she said, “Mr. Taylor, I will get a replacement ordered for you and it will be in between three and four weeks.” I was surprised…in fact, I was almost shocked. Keep in mind the purchase was made in 2008. Amazing.
With no hoopla, without making me stand on my head, without any fanfare, she simply took care of the situation and just like that, it was done. Before I ended the conversation, I just had to tell her how pleased I was with their customer service and the way they honored their warranty. You know, and I know, most of the time a warranty is worthless, and the customer service makes you feel like a criminal for even asking. Wow. I quickly became an even bigger Window World fan. Why would I go anywhere else?
In case you’re wondering, that’s what drew me to God all those years ago. He made all these incredible promises and even gave it to me in writing. It is called the Bible. For me, that was decades ago, and I am glad to let you know He has kept every promise and He has never, and I mean never, failed to keep His Word. I have failed Him so many times but in spite of that, He never packs up and leaves and never goes out of business. Regardless of the circumstances, He is always an “I love you and I want to help you” kind of God. Like Window World, why would I go anywhere else?
One day, Jesus asked His disciples that very question. A gaggle of people had decided to stop listening and stop following and He simply said to His boys, “Are you going to leave me too?” It was Peter who said, “Where would we go? You alone have the Words of life.” Peter was saying, “No way Jesus. We may not understand everything you do but for us…you are the only game in town.” And do you know what? He was right.
Well, like I said, when it comes to windows, Window World is the place for me. I know that they mean what they say. They will be there…regardless. And when it comes to this life and eternal life, there is only one answer for me and that is Jesus. No matter what, no matter how hard, no matter if I throw a baseball through the window of my life, I know one thing. He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne
Grits with Grace 