From The Pastor’s Pen – By Brian Horrobin
Everyone loves a bargain but sometimes saving money up front will cost you in the end.
Benjamin Franklin once said, “The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.”
As a serious runner, I generally only buy high-quality shoes for working out.
However, a few years ago I came across a real ‘steal of a deal’ that I just could not resist.
I picked up a pair of running shoes that were severely slashed in price and a brand name, although not the type of shoe I would normally purchase.
As I sat smugly lacing up for my maiden voyage I was feeling pretty proud of myself about my savvy purchase.
It all ended less than an hour later with sore ankles and blisters on my feet.
The shoes simply didn’t fit well and despite having broken them in for a few days prior to that first run I knew that I had made a mistake.
They got relegated to grass cutting duty.
Lesson learned.
Short cuts and bargain basement deals usually don’t end well.
In fact, someone once said that ‘the longest distance between two points is a short cut’.
Of course, the wisdom of choosing quality has the opposite effect.
I was in Austria in 1985 as a 20-year-old university student and was invited to do some hiking in the mountains with some other students.
I had only a pair of tennis shoes so was advised to purchase good hiking boots if I wanted to truly enjoy my hiking experience.
I was a bit reluctant to fork over the money, but do you know what?
I had those boots until 2016 and wore them every winter without fail!
Let me encourage you today to also make wise, quality investments in your life.
Choose relationships over things and time spent with others versus endless time on electronic devices.
In the end you will not have to suffer the regret of disappointment.
