Published 11/26/19
By Greg Johnson
What If...
As a father you’ve always been motivated to provide for your family. You work hard and have given us a good measure of security. No, not everything can be planned for–life on earth doesn’t hold many guarantees–but you do your best.
That’s why when you notice a newspaper ad talking about an insurance plan that is also a college savings plan, you check it out. You call up the company to get more facts and then make an appointment to meet with one of the agents.
Over a cup of coffee at Denny’s one morning, the agent explains the plan. He says that if you start with five thousand dollars, the interest rate will be nearly double what you now make at the bank. “The investments we’ve selected give a higher return when more is invested,’ the agent says.
You ask more questions and tell the guy you’ll think about it. After discussing it with Mom, you agree that it sounds good. Calling the agent back up, you let him know your decision. He says you’ve made the right choice.
The following Monday, you fill out a bunch of paperwork and give the agent a check. He explains you’ll be getting monthly statements that chart the progress of your account. You feel good that you’re providing more life insurance in case something happens to you, while saving for our college educations.
A month goes by and you notice no statements have come in the mail. So you call the agent up. The operator says the line has been disconnected. Suddenly, you get a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach. You realize you’ve been ripped off by a con artist. Calling the police you find out you weren’t the only one. Dozens of people fell for it. The guy was good.
It takes two months, but they catch the man who scammed you out of your money. It seems he spent it all in a foreign country before coming back to try his scheme again. The cash is gone, but at least he’s behind bars. A while later, you see him in court as you’re giving your testimony.
Questions to Think On
• What the guy did was very bad. How would you feel about him in your heart?
• Could you ever forgive the man for what he did?
• What lessons would you learn from this bad situation?
• If you had the chance to talk to him for ten minutes alone, what would you say?
What Does God Have to Say?
Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
(c)