No Damaged Goods

How hard can it possibly be to buy a toaster?
The toaster I have now can toast four slices of bread.
I use my toaster every morning to toast a piece of 7 Sprouted Grains bread.
I noticed the bread was not toasting the way it used to.

There may be four openings for four slices of bread, but I prefer one opening a bit more.
I don’t know why.
Maybe it’s because it is the opening that is nearest to me, or nearest the napkins.
There is no rational reason why I prefer the opening on the far right.

No matter where I turn the dial, the bread just is not toasting correctly.
I really did not want to buy a new toaster because one side is not working properly.
However, if the heating element is not working on one side, the other side is sure to follow.
I decided it was time to buy a new toaster.

It has been a while since I had to buy a toaster.
I assumed they were all the same and I could find one much like the one I have.
I was surprised at the cost.
I was surprised at all the bell and whistles.

Since all of my appliances are stainless steel, I wanted to find a toaster that matched.
I remember when I was a little girl, our toaster had stainless steel sides.
I could look at myself as I waited for my bread to pop up.
Because the sides of the toaster were curved, my image was a bit distorted like a fun house mirror.

I smiled as I walked to the aisle with all the toasters.
There were only four choices that were able to toast four slices of bread.
Following my husband’s advice to our children, I chose the one in the middle.
Not the most expensive; not the least expensive.

I smiled at the thought of the fun house mirror all over again.
I paid for the toaster and I went home.
I was thinking about having a cup of tea later that day.
I was thinking about toasting a piece of 7 Sprouted Grains bread with some almond butter.

I came home and opened the box.
The toaster was quite large.
It had all sorts of buttons on the side that I thought were controls you set once and forgot.
After reading the directions, I realized that the buttons acted like a control panel.

There was a frozen setting, a bagel setting, a cancel setting, and multiple indicator lights.
I just wanted to put a piece of 7 Sprouted Grains bread in the toaster and have my tea.
I reprimanded myself for being a dinosaur.
I chided myself for being old-fashioned and not embracing the new and improved.

I put the piece of 7 Sprouted Grains bread in the opening on the far right.
Old habits die hard.
I pushed down the lever.
Nothing happened.

I knew that the heating element was supposed to get red.
I waited.
Nothing.
My 7 Sprouted Grains bread looked just like it did before.

I opened the directions.
I read about putting the bread in the toaster.
I read about setting all of the buttons before pressing down the lever.
This was not a once and done thing; this was to be done every time you toasted something.

I knew that those extra steps bothered me.
I knew those extra steps would annoy my husband.
I packed everything up as neatly as I found it when I opened the box.
I took it back to the store to exchange my toaster for one that does not have all the extras.

I had my receipt.
It was the same woman who waited on me the day before.
Did you use the toaster? She asked.
Did you put a piece of bread in any of the openings?

I did, I said honestly.
I put one slice in the opening at the far right.
I knew that without even thinking.
OK, she said as she put a damaged sticker on the box.

There’s nothing wrong with the toaster, it is just too complicated, I said feebly.
She looked at me in an odd sort of way as if to say, How can a toaster be complicated?
You see you have to set the buttons before you press down the lever, I explained.
She looked very confused as to why that would be a problem.

You have to do that EVERY time, before you toast a piece of bread, I said pointedly.
Oh, that WOULD be annoying! She answered.
I knew she was beginning to understand; she was about my age.
She probably remembered toasters with two openings and fun house mirror sides.

I’m sorry you have to consider this damaged now, I said with regret.
We can’t sell it if it had bread in it, she said.
Don’t feel bad; we do this all the time.
At least you were honest, she added.

Oh, that’s terrible, I said thinking of all the things that are considered damaged goods.
Damaged goods because they’re used.
That big red sticker on the side of the box announced that this item was no longer any good.
Damaged!

Therefore there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1,2)

Because of Jesus, there is no condemnation.
Apart from Jesus there is only the penalty of death for our sin.
No damaged goods for those who are in Christ.
No red sticker that says, condemned.

That’s good news!
We are all sinners.
But we have a sinless Savior who is fully God and fully man.
Our sinless Savior died on the cross in our place and rose again three days later.

The wrath of a holy God, who cannot look at sin, needed to be satisfied.
Jesus was our substitute.
Jesus took the punishment upon Himself that was meant for us.
Jesus died so that we would not have to die but rather have eternal life in heaven.

We are more wicked than we ever dared to believe, but more loved and accepted in Christ than we ever dared to hope – at the very same time. (Tim Keller)

No damaged goods here!
Accepted by God the Father because of His Son, Jesus.
That is good news!
That is the Gospel.

2 responses to “No Damaged Goods”

1. Thank you for the reminder that no matter how broken we feel, we are never damaged in God’s eyes.

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   • Amen, Laura. We are God’s image bearers, which gives us dignity and worth simply because He made us. Rejoice in that truth.
     Gina

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