John 10:41Many people came to him. They said, "Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man was true."
For our honeymoon, Danny books a luxury cabin in the Nantahala Mountains of North Carolina. The photos and description of it he sees on-line promises the perfect getaway for us. It does look charming!
When we enter the cabin, we are not disappointed. It is as warm, cozy, and inviting as the pictures implied.
There is only one drawback.
The view.
The cabin, nestled on a hillside, looks out at mountains. And houses. A few trailers. The main road . . .
Funny how the description which touts "a majestic view" omits any mention of the presence of civilization.
Lessons learned? Photos can be cropped. And, words which sound too good to be true often are.
Needless to say, we are a bit gun-shy when planning our anniversary trip to the mountains. Danny researches diligently and locates a seemingly reliable rental company in the area. He talks extensively with their office before making a choice, unwilling to fully trust the photos and descriptions on their website.
The outcome?
Turns out that truth in advertising exists after all.
That is, when you have something so marvelous, it needs only speak for itself.
~
When have you been lured by the promise of a product or service only to be disillusioned?
Will you pray with me?
Thank you, Father, for sending Your servant, John, to prepare our hearts and minds to receive Jesus as Lord. He advertised the coming of the Messiah in all truth and faithfulness. May we, too, point others to the truth of Jesus. Amen.
Readings
Psalms 102 or 107:1-32
Genesis 32:22-33:17
1 John 3:1-10
John 10:31-42
Hi, Martha! ~
ReplyDeleteYour story reminds me of an experience I had, maybe, 20 years ago...
I took my kids on a train trip across the country. It was the trip of a lifetime, but quite a financial investment for a single mom, so I was trying to be as frugal as possible along the way.
We went to a restaurant for dinner in California because of an ad that promised a delicious meal for a very reasonable price. It wasn't until the bill came that I realized I had been charged more for the 'extras' like vegetable, potato, and bread. It added up to quite a bill and I was furious. The waiter was not sympathetic. I paid the bill but did not leave a tip.
The next day, I took my kids to the Farmer's Market and who do you think we ran into there? The waiter, of course! He started spouting off loudly & sarcastically about how 'cheap' I was not to leave a tip. I was embarrassed.
Now, whenever I'm offered 'extras' of any kind with any purchase I ALWAYS ask if that's included ;-)
Wow, Linda! What a horrendous experience that was for you! Yes, we do learn from our mistakes especially, I think, when they are unpleasant, unfortunately. You are wise to question those "extras"!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by today and leaving this great comment!
Blessings to you! :)
Hope you enjoyed your Honeymoon...nice post. Travel agencies and Hotels do this for their promotion, has happened a few times.
ReplyDeleteWe did enjoy it very much - did lots of sightseeing and hiking. Sorry to hear this sort of thing has happened to you, too. :(
DeleteThanks so much for stopping by, Janu!
Blessings!
I see this so much, unfortunately I've also learnt the hard way over time. If it looks too good to be true, it usually is x
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, this is a hard lesson to learn, especially when our hard-earned money is spent, but we did have fun anyway. :)
DeleteThanks for stopping by, SJ!
Blessings!
lol If you travel this has happened to you lol. Although with the internet and sites such as trip advisor it can be a little less daunting. We are in the process of booking a trip to Paris and Italy and we are worried about the same type problems you have had!!
ReplyDeleteGreat post!!
http://jpweddingphotograpy.blogspot.com/2012/02/image-of-week-jims-over-21-version.html
Thanks, Jim, for dropping by today!
DeleteI know you are so excited about your upcoming trip to Europe - sounds enchanting! Yes, I do hope wherever you book will be exactly, or better than, what you expected. Thanks, too, for the tip about Trip Advisor.:)
Blessings!
It happened most recent, a few years ago when moving to Florida from Texas and needing an apartment. The pictures were very different once we actually visited the complex. However, we did end up living there for 3 years because it was a nice area.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, RoseAnn, for stopping by today!
DeleteThat's great that, even though the apartments were not exactly what you expected, all worked out well for you in the end. Same with us - we enjoyed our time in the mountains anyway!
Blessings!
This happened to us very recently Martha... We can't always believe what we see or hear, can we? It's so difficult to fathom how self-effacing John the Baptist was considering he really didn't get to see Jesus performing his miracles. He was truly a man with vision and great faith! Thank you for inspiring always, Martha.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear that, Corinne. And, you're so right, we can't always believe what we see or hear or, sadly, take someone at his or her word.
DeleteJohn certainly was an amazing person. God, as always, chose the right man for the job!
Thanks so much for stopping by today!
Blessings always!
i dont think its smart thing that they did..in this age of access to internet when word gets around fast...this is not really smart!!
ReplyDeletehttp://sushmita-smile.blogspot.in/
No, it definitely was not a good move on their part. Needless to say, they did not get our business after this.
DeleteThanks so much for stopping by!
Blessings to you!
Ooo the thing that makes me exasperated to hear these stories is it leaves the person disillusioned because the package is a lie...
ReplyDeleteI wanted to comfort you but you have paid for that cabin. I hope you were able to resolve and recover from this experience... We do learn some things the hard way esp. that we do not deserve such unnecessary things.
I couldn't remember if has ever happened to me... I always have fun in my trips...
so I pray with you... It is true, the only ad that gave me such joy is the coming of Christ. May God bless you and protect you :*
*if it has...
DeleteYes, Melissa, we made the best of it and ended up having lots of fun in the mountains. That's why we go back every year, just NOT to this particular cabin. :)
DeleteAnd, yes, Christ is the embodiment of truth in advertising! He is everything He promises.
Blessings to you!
I regret that I am not widely traveled, although it is a goal of mine. I am fortunate to live in East TN, just a short 40 minute drive to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, so when friends are looking for cabins up there to rent, I can always give them suggestions for the better rental management groups to contact. The mere thought of a long weekend spent up there in a cabin....ohhh, my heart just sighs!
ReplyDeleteRegarding truth in advertising, I admit that I'm fairly hard nosed about making sure I get what I pay for. I'm not rude with my approach, but I am firm and hold the intention that fair commerce is practiced on both sides of the transaction. People will disappoint us occasionally, true. How we choose to react and respond is what defines us, I think. :)
- Dawn
Oh, you are so fortunate to live with the Smokys practically in your backyard! We go up there (Nanatahalas) every year for Thanksgiving and/or our anniversary. Thankfully, we have found a great rental company, Watershed Cabins, and have yet to be let down by them.
DeleteAnd, you are so right. We can't always avoid false advertising, but we can choose our response to our situation and learn important lessons. If you've read some of my other comments here, you know that Danny and I ended up having a marvelous time while there.
Thanks so much for stopping by, Dawn!
Blessings!
I'm so happy you weren't disappointed on your anniversary trip in my state's glorious bounty, compliments of the Creator!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful weekend dear Martha!
<3 and hugs!
Yes, we look forward to returning to the mountains every year, Debra. :)
DeleteWe will have a fun weekend and hope you do, too!
Blessings always!
Sounds like you learned some valuable lessons and created a wonderful anniversary get away. lovely story.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Daisy, for stopping by!
DeleteYes, we created some wonderful memories anyway and love going to the mountains whenever we can.
Blessings to you!
Great story! I wish there was more truth in advertising. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rachel, for stopping by!
DeleteIt would be nice if we could believe all that we see and hear, wouldn't it?
So glad you liked this story.
Blessings!
you make a very good point... an image can be very deceiving and with all that photo shop has to offer can make something not so grand look very enticing. advertising is one of the very reasons I monitor kid channels with commercials that my children watch.
ReplyDeleteAmy, you are so wise to monitor what your children watch. I recall my mom always telling me as a child that you can't trust television commercials. Wise words!
DeleteWish we had remembered in booking this cabin, but, we had fun, learned from it, and haven't been disappointed since.
Thanks so much for taking time to visit and leave a comment!
Blessings!