On the left is the advertisement for what the chicken nuggets were supposed to look like.  On the right is what my daughter-in-law received.

Cutting into the nuggets when she got home showed little actual chicken, but if you’re into skin and gristle, this goodie is for you.

I called the fast-food restaurant and lodged a complaint.  While I was on the phone with their rep, my son called his wife who told him what I was doing.

She put him on the speaker-phone. “Mom, hang up.  I can’t believe you’re doing this.”  I, of course, reminded him that last year I called the 1-800 floral company when he paid $90.00 for an Easter bouquet for his wife and infant daughter, a “bouquet” that looked like a wilted, miniature version of the flowers being advertised.  Had he paid $9.00, I would have said nothing.

If people don’t complain when they are not given what is promised, the company will continue to take advantage, right?

No one wants to be ripped off.

Just ask the 37,000 investors who lost a total of $65 billion when they trusted Bernie Madoff.

Well, guess what!  There is one who, in spite of being accused otherwise, never rips off anyone.  Still, the accusations don’t stop.  My friend’s adult child lives in another state but has decided not to believe in God because He doesn’t answer prayers to satisfy this individual (not an uncommon argument). So, I guess, God is ripping off this poor guy? The problem is that God is God, and this person isn’t.  He’s a narcissist, but he isn’t God.

We must read Scripture to learn who God is so we don’t grow up with unrealistic, selfish expectations.  He’s not Santa Claus or the Easter bunny or the tooth fairy or a genie in a bottle.

He loves us enough to become the only perfect human ever to save us from ourselves, including ideas that we deserve something from Him.

Look at 2 Corinthians 5:21:  For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

We can’t do anything to make ourselves right with God.

Trust me, I spent a long time trying.

Such a waste!  God has done all the work.  We have no right to pat ourselves on our backs when we try to out-smart our creator.  But even when we do, He doesn’t give up on us. Because that’s what unconditional Love does.

And that’s about as far from a rip-off artist as I can imagine.