I’ve mentioned my love of smoothies before. They are an everyday essential at our house, which means a good blender is an absolute necessity.
When I first started making smoothies, I had a basic Oster. I was perfectly content with this blender until one day, while reading a cooking blog, I was introduced to the Blendtec. Immediately, I was impressed by its power and promise to blend anything into smithereens. So, determined to have one for myself, I started dropping hints for Christmas. My mother, who makes Santa look stingy, picked up my not-so-subtle clues and surprised me with a blender on Christmas morning. Though excited, I was disappointed and confused by the brand. “Vitamix?” I thought. Don’t get me wrong; it looked impressive, but the Blendtec was the only brand I’d talked about. “Where did my mom come up with a Vitamix?”
Coming home, I started reading reviews that compared the Vitamix to the Blendtec. With loyal enthusiasts on both sides, I determined to keep the Vitamix. After all, my mom was so excited to give it to me, and explained how she had such peace in purchasing it, snagging one of only two left at the store. Perhaps it was really the blender for me. My husband, however, encouraged me to reconsider. “Kaim, your mom would not care if you exchanged the Vitamix for the Blendtec. I think you should get the one you’ve said you wanted all along.” Figuring he was right, I prayed, then called Blendtec customer service. Because of the specials they were running, I was able to purchase a refurbished model and their latest “Twister” jar for the same price as the Vitamix. I called my mom to let her know, then I waited for my blessed Blendtec to arrive.
When the box landed on my doorstep, I didn’t hesitate to tear into it. After my first smoothie, I raved. The Blendtec could handle leafy greens in a way my Oster could not. Still, the consistency wasn’t as creamy as I liked. After several days of annoying clumps in my smoothies, I called for assistance. Blendtec’s customer service proved to be top-notch. I explained how the texture wasn’t creamy, even lumpy at times. They tried to troubleshoot the issue, stating consistent chunks of frozen banana were uncharacteristic of their blender. Finally, they determined my blender jar was likely to blame. “Let us send you a new jar, free of charge. Maybe this will solve the problem.”
Meanwhile, my mom decided it was time for a blender upgrade of her own, so she purchased Blendtec’s latest model. After she reported no consistency issues, I was hopeful my incoming replacement jar would be the fix. Turns out, however, it wasn’t. I called Blendtec again, explaining the problem remained and asked if I needed to send the jar back. After all, it was apparent my original jar wasn’t faulty in the first place. “No, ma’am. Please keep the extra jar for all your time and trouble.” While I appreciated their generosity, I couldn’t shake my dissatisfaction with the blender overall. I wanted to love my Blendtec, but I knew I needed to return it. Assured of my decision, I called customer service, believing it would be the last time. “Hello. I need to return the refurbished blender that I recently purchased from you. However, I will not be returning the “Twister” jar. My mom plans to buy it from me, since I bought it at a promotional price. Would that be okay?” The rep assured me it would not be a problem and permitted me to give her the free replacement jar as well. So, I carefully packed the blender as directed and mailed it to Blendtec for a refund. Later, I drove to Bed, Bath and Beyond for the same Vitamix I’d been given for Christmas. When I got home, I made a smoothie, wondering if there would be a noticeable difference. There was. The Vitamix was as powerful as the Blendtec, handling leafy greens like a champ, but it was much quieter and blended deliciously creamy smoothies. I was thrilled. I knew, without question, this was the blender for me. “I should have never returned this,” I thought.
No doubt, my choice to swap the Vitamix for the Blendtec was a mistake, one I thoughtfully considered and prayed over. Still, I can’t deny God’s overwhelming favor with Blendtec’s customer service throughout the entire process. In fact, due to a refund error and several attempts to have it corrected, Blendtec ultimately gifted me the cost of the “Twister” jar as well. Incredible, isn’t it? My single misstep provided valuable, firsthand consumer knowledge and produced two free blender jars worth more than $200. What’s more, it failed to keep me from receiving the Vitamix God knew I’d prefer. In the end, He miraculously morphed my Blendtec blunder into a bountiful blessing.
Though it’s been almost a year ago, the Lord reminded me of this story. I’ll be transparent. The last several months have been some of the hardest spiritually. In what felt like overnight, my earnest desire to please God morphed into an unhealthy, knee-knocking dread of displeasing Him. I was paralyzed by a fear that any mistake could cause me to miss His perfect will, so I waffled incessantly. “Lord, is that You, or is it me? I don’t know what to do! Don’t let me miss You!” In effect, I lost all confidence, and my joy, peace, and freedom were stolen. Thankfully, however, this story exposes that lie and highlights Christ’s overwhelming redemptive power. It affirms that we can be confident in our journey with Him, despite inevitable mistakes and failures along the way. When our hearts are set to hear from Him, desiring His leadership in all things, the fear of missing His perfect will should vanish. After all, He is faithful to bring us back to the place we went astray, bless us with His favor and grace during the detour, and teach us lessons that will last a lifetime.
Grateful for His goodness, grace, and mercy,
Kaime
