Two Boxes and an Inventory

Short Version (If you are feeling impatient today)

We got one box, as we were supposed to. We got a second box, but weren’t supposed to. We liked both boxes. We still have some work to do.

Longer version

Early this year, My EC and I were traveling, and stayed at a place that was a little more “upscale” than we are accustomed to. Everything was really nice, but one thing that really stood out to us was the bed sheets. The sheets were wonderful.

I know, I know – they were “just” sheets, but you need to believe me when I tell you that these weren’t just ordinary sheets.  They were like “Celestial Kingdom” sheets. And like the Celestial Kingdom, you would have to experience it to understand.

When I was checking out and paying the bill, I mentioned to the lady that we really liked the sheets. She handed me back my credit card and said, “Yeah, we get that a lot – that’s why we sell them.”

“What? You sell the sheets here?” My hand was poised in the air, still holding my credit card.

“How much?”

“$450.00”

Gasp. “Really? That’s a little more than I was expecting.” I said as my credit card beat a hasty retreat back into the safety of my wallet.

As I was walking away, the lady told me, “I’m not supposed to tell you this, but once in a while, you can get similar sheets at Costco for a lot less.” I thanked her and tucked that thought away – just in case.

When we got home, I looked online to find out more about these Celestial sheets. It turns out that there was a roadshow at Costco going on that very weekend, and they were selling similar sheets for only $99 a set.

Now I know you are saying, “$99 for some sheets?”  It does seem crazy – but not as crazy as $450. Let me reassure you that these are not just ordinary sheets. When I bought them, it all made sense:

Besides, my EC’s birthday was coming up. (And don’t criticize me for buying a gift that I get to use equally.)

I sprang for the sheets, gave them to my EC for her birthday. She was happy.

Fast forward 6 months later.

Something began to change with our fancy sheets. They started to “pill” and feel less luxurious.  We had only used them half of the time, so effectively they were wearing out after only three month’s use. You can’t call your sheets “Eternal” if they only last for three months!

So I emailed the company, explaining my disappointment in their product, and attached a picture showing where the sheets were going weird.

The very next day, I got a kind reply, apologizing for what must have been a bad batch, and offering to send us a new set.  I was impressed.

A few days later, FedEx dropped off a box. Inside was a brand new set of sheets. We were pleased.

A few days later (last Friday) FedEx showed up again, with another, identical box.  We opened it up to find yet another set of sheets. Whoo-hoo!

Either Jennifer Adams really, really likes me, or ….. somebody messed up and sent two sets by mistake.

Confession time:  Initially, I was happy to get the extra set. Here is how the self-dialogue went down:

• These sheets aren’t cheap, you know. It would be great to have an extra set on hand.
• It was their mistake.
• If the sheets hadn’t been defective in the first place…
• They probably will never realize that it happened.
• It’s the cost of doing business.

Yeah, I am sorry to admit that those were my first thoughts. I wish my first thought had been to ask myself, “Are you honest in your dealings with your fellow men?”

But it wasn’t.

Sunday, my EC and I were talking about church, and she told me her YW lesson that day had been about honesty. I chuckled as she talked about how she shared with the girls how she wanted to keep the extra set of sheets, but knew she needed to send it back.

I know it seems like it isn’t a big deal, but the funny thing is that I consider myself an honest person – yet I was really quick to jump to ways I could justify keeping something that I knew did not belong to me.

The sheets reminded me of a talk a few years back by Richard Edgely in General Conference.  he told the story of his father finding three towels in his car that he had taken from the lodge where he had worked. He expressed how disappointed his father was in him – which motivated him to repent and drive a 370 mile round trip to return the towels.  (Great talk -here is the link)

You might remember in that same talk, Bishop Edgely talked about paying for a 25¢ newspaper that he could have gotten for free. A quarter. Big deal, right?

I had a great Stake President who once taught the principle of honesty in such a way that I have never forgotten it. He explained that if he went to a vending machine and there was extra change in the tray, he would leave it there – because he knew that it was not his money. It belonged to someone else.

Along those same lines, once I found a $20 dollar bill in a grocery store parking lot, and returned it to an incredulous customer service clerk, – just in case someone came looking for it.

I’m not dumb – I doubt that anyone ever claimed it, and it might very well have ended up in the clerk’s pocket – but that is between the clerk and God – not me and God.

Sometimes we pocket dishonesty, and call it good fortune.

“Honesty is the basis of a true Christian life. For Latter-day Saints, honesty is an important requirement for entering the Lord’s holy temple. Honesty is embedded in the covenants that we make in the temple. Each Sunday as we partake of the holy emblems of the Savior’s flesh and blood, we again renew our basic and sacred covenants—which encompass honesty. As Latter-day Saints we have a sacred obligation to not only teach the principles of honesty, but also to live them, perhaps with examples as simple as three towels or a 25-cent newspaper. Honesty should be among the most fundamental values that govern our everyday living.” Richard Edgely.

It really isn’t very hard to talk ourselves into being dishonest – whether it be on our income taxes, or bringing supplies home from the office, or telling “white lies.”  I wish I could say that my instant reaction to such challenges was always to choose the right, but I can’t.

However, until I get to that point in my own spirituality where honesty is the first response, I will keep trying to make sure that it is, at very least, the final response.

Oh, the sheets are going back – just in case you were wondering.