Articles
The Shredded Suitcase
The Shredded Suitcase
Brett Petrillo
As the airport carousel begins to churn out the suitcases, there is always that moment of fear. Did your bags make it? Will they come out? Will something be broken?
Kristin Horabin and her husband were in this very boat. They watched as bag after bag came out, including her husbands. When Kristin's never showed itself, they walked over to baggage claim office. "Oh, maybe that's your bag over here," said the worker. The worker went back and brought up a big plastic bin that held a shredded up bag with a bunch of loose, miscellaneous items. It was Kristin's bag.
The Horabin's filed a claim to American Airlines. Within 24 hours, they received a sincere apology, a check for $3,500, as well as a $300 travel voucher. American resolved the conflict with the Horabin's and is currently investigating what happened to the bag. Despite all the damage that occurred, at least one thing is good, American Airlines worked quickly and diligently to make it right (Fox News).
We all make mistakes. We say things we shouldn't have. We do things that aren't right. We participate in things we had no business being apart in. What we do after the mistake is what really makes the difference.
When Cain sinned, he tried to hide it, only making things worse for himself (Genesis 4). When David sinned and was confronted, he immediately took the blame, repented, and accepted the consequences (2 Samuel 11-12). When Judas sinned against Christ, he ran from his problems, denying himself the forgiveness Christ would have given him, and made things eternally worse by committing suicide (Matthew 27:1-10). When Peter sinned against the Christ, he came back to the Lord and made things right (John 20:3-10; 21:15-19).
Facing up with our mistakes is rarely a pleasant experience at the start. In the end, though, it clears the conscience, gives a sense of relief, and eventually smooths out. We will wrong people. When we do, let's quickly make it right.
