It was a scene that...
Illustration
It was a scene that could very well have happened in any big department store in our land, in these weeks following our annual Christmas gift-giving extravaganza.
A woman approaches the customer-service desk and declares, a little testily, "I'd like to return this."
The clerk smiles, and replies, "I'm sorry, Ma'am, but that gift is not returnable."
"Not returnable?" she retorts -- her blood pressure immediately shooting up a few points. "Isn't this the store where it came from?"
"Well, yes," the clerk admits. "Not only that, this store is the only place that item can be found."
"Well," huffs the woman, "then I don't understand why I can't return it. But let's try this: how about I exchange it for something else, of equal value?"
"I'm sorry, Ma'am," the clerk continues, "there is nothing else of equal value."
"I find that absurd," says the customer. "How about this: if you can't refund the purchase price, and if I can't exchange it for something else, could you at least credit my account?"
"I'm afraid I can't do that, Ma'am. You see, the purchase price already has been credited to your account: credited in full." The man's smile becomes brighter.
"You mean to tell me the cost of this item has already been credited to my account, and I still have it in my possession?"
"That's right," he says. It looks like the clerk could burst out laughing any minute.
"I don't understand," she replies, shaking her head. "Somebody must have paid an awful lot for this."
"You can't imagine how much," the clerk says, quietly. "You can't imagine how much." As for the woman, she just walks away, a puzzled look on her face.
So what is this mysterious gift? It's nothing you can place in a box, and tie up with ribbon and bows. It's nothing you can slide into an envelope, either -- not even one of those envelopes with the oval cut-out inside, just right for a dead president's profile portrait. It's nothing you can hold in your hand at all. No, the unreturnable gift is nothing less than the grace of God.
A woman approaches the customer-service desk and declares, a little testily, "I'd like to return this."
The clerk smiles, and replies, "I'm sorry, Ma'am, but that gift is not returnable."
"Not returnable?" she retorts -- her blood pressure immediately shooting up a few points. "Isn't this the store where it came from?"
"Well, yes," the clerk admits. "Not only that, this store is the only place that item can be found."
"Well," huffs the woman, "then I don't understand why I can't return it. But let's try this: how about I exchange it for something else, of equal value?"
"I'm sorry, Ma'am," the clerk continues, "there is nothing else of equal value."
"I find that absurd," says the customer. "How about this: if you can't refund the purchase price, and if I can't exchange it for something else, could you at least credit my account?"
"I'm afraid I can't do that, Ma'am. You see, the purchase price already has been credited to your account: credited in full." The man's smile becomes brighter.
"You mean to tell me the cost of this item has already been credited to my account, and I still have it in my possession?"
"That's right," he says. It looks like the clerk could burst out laughing any minute.
"I don't understand," she replies, shaking her head. "Somebody must have paid an awful lot for this."
"You can't imagine how much," the clerk says, quietly. "You can't imagine how much." As for the woman, she just walks away, a puzzled look on her face.
So what is this mysterious gift? It's nothing you can place in a box, and tie up with ribbon and bows. It's nothing you can slide into an envelope, either -- not even one of those envelopes with the oval cut-out inside, just right for a dead president's profile portrait. It's nothing you can hold in your hand at all. No, the unreturnable gift is nothing less than the grace of God.
