Lessons in Loyalty from Apple, Oakley, and God
I’m loyal to Oakley and Apple. While that might not come as a surprise to many of you, I want to share with you a couple of stories as to why. I was reminded of these stories in a recent Bible Study I was leading on Romans. The verse we were discussing was:
“Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and restraint and patience,
not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?”
Romans 2:4
Here are the memories that came to mind.
My son, Daniel, was probably five. We were playing in the pool during a vacation. Daniel was jumping off of my shoulders, and as he did, he accidentally kicked back toward my face and hit my sunglasses. One of the earpieces snapped in two. I realized after the fact that I probably should not wear expensive sunglasses while playing in the pool with my boys.
Knowing my warranty would not cover accidental damage, I packaged up the glasses and sent them back to Oakley with a letter. It stated that I knew the breakage was not covered and explained how it happened. I inquired what it would cost to replace the earpiece. I also explained how I had not taken very good care of the lenses, using my t-shirt to clean them rather than the microfiber cloth they suggested. As a result of my poor care, the lenses were full of scratches. “What would it cost to replace those as well?” I asked.
A month later, I received a package in the mail from Oakley. It was a brand-new pair of sunglasses. No questions asked.
I am Oakley loyal for life.
A few years later, I was rushing out of the garage to pick up my oldest, David, from a Boy Scout camp two hours away. On the way out the door, I grabbed my iPad so he could perhaps watch a movie lying down in the back seat on the way home.
After the four-hour round trip, I realized I did not have my iPad. David slept all the way home, so I never used it in the car. Suddenly I realized I had left it on top of the car as I left on the trip.
Panicked, I went for a walk down our street in the dark. About five houses down, there was the iPad in the middle of the street. It had been rained on and run over multiple times. It was SMASHED.
The next day I took it to the Apple Store. I explained to the Apple Genius what had happened. When I showed her the iPad she laughed, and rightly so. Explaining that I knew Apple Care did not cover accidental damage and basic stupidity, I asked if there was anything salvageable. How much would it cost me to make this iPad whole again?
The young lady took the iPad to the back of the store and told me to wait. Five minutes later, she came back and handed me a brand-new iPad.
“Wait! You are not supposed to do this. I know the warranty does not cover this!” I exclaimed.
She smiled and said, “I know. Just keep buying Apple products.”
I am Apple loyal for life.
I do the same thing I did to Oakley and Apple to God over and over again. And He does what Oakley and Apple did for me over and over again… and again… and again.
Like the glasses and iPad, I am broken beyond repair, and it is nobody’s fault but my own. Blaming someone else is futile and leads to a life of bitterness and playing the victim.
But rather than blame, I approach the Throne of Grace (so much easier than getting an Apple Store appointment these days) and present myself to God.
“Lord, I know it’s nobody’s fault but my own, but here I am again, broken. And I know that you have already forgiven me thousands of times.”
He smiles. Unlike Apple, he does not ask me to wait, and there is no reason to go looking in the back stockroom. Just like Romans 2 says, out “of the riches of His kindness and restraint and patience,” my Creator makes me new again—brand new.
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and
purify us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:8-9
I may be Oakley and Apple loyal for life, but I am God loyal for eternity.
It really is “the kindness of God leads you to repentance .”
Again and again and again…
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
2 Corinthians 5:17
You Wouldn’t Believe It
“You wouldn’t believe.” These are the most powerful words in creating an unforgettable experience. They speak to something so outrageous, so surprising, so beyond expectation that there’s only one possible response; tell the story to others.
Jesse Cole - Owner of the Savanah Bananas
It’s the same response to what God has done for us. There’s only one possible response. Tell the story to others.
Like the Israelites, we forget. Take a moment to pause in your day and remember. How has God's kindness, grace & gospel changed you? Is He putting someone on your heart to share that with?
May our lives be a continued testimony of His never failing kindness and grace.