Deceived!

Yesterday, completely on a whim (which obviously is a lesson in itself), I bought this delicious looking-type of microwave popcorn: Jolly Time Caramel Apple Microwave Popcorn.

The package photo showed popped kernels of popcorn draped and dripping in luscious caramel.

Ooh, I thought, to have an easy way to make and enjoy caramel popcorn.

So excited this afternoon I was to eat for myself (and share with the children) the flavorful imaginations of my popcorn heart.

The aroma of warm caramel wafted through the air as the microwave ticked down to the slowing pops of corn kernels.

Finally, the moment had arrived.

I opened the hot, steamy bag and carefully emptied its contents.

Dreaming. Waiting.

When to my complete and utter disappointment there was not one eentsy-teeny tiny miniscule bit of caramel present. Not one!

No ooey, gooey brown drippy, sticky substance that even resembled caramel trickled out of the bag.

No. the popcorn was dry. Butterless.

It was REGULAR POPCORN that had an ever so slight hint of a caramel flavor.

Oh, my heart. Broken. Denied. DECEIVED.

Which reminded me of a Family Home Evening lesson we had many, many moons ago, thanks to an idea from my sister.

I had carefully chosen and wrapped four INCREDIBLE LOOKING presents. They were GORGEOUS to the eye. The fifth package was in a brown lunch sack.

Inside of each were the following, with a tag to add exra incentive for the choosing:

1. A wad of Already Been Chewed Gum. The tag on the package read something like this: “Delicious and fruity; Joy to the tastebuds!”

2. Soggy Fruit Loops in a plastic bowl. The tag read something like this: “Every kid wants this for breakfast – and more!”

3. A box filled with dryer lint. With the tag reading: “This will definitely keep you warm and cozy when you’re cold!”

4. A diaper filled with a smooshed brownie, covered with chocolate syrup. The tag said: “The most incredible surprise!”

5.  A brown paper sack which ultimately held our Family Home Evening Treat.  The tag read something like this, "Pick me.  This is the best you'll get!"

We displayed the presents before us all during our lesson!  Our lesson was on how Satan will do what he can to trick us, trap us, lie to us, deceive us.

We had a very nice family discussion.

But my boys were giddy with elated enthusiasm to actually think that on a day that wasn’t their birthday or Christmas, they were going to get a present.

So after the lesson, we had them choose a package and guess what they thought was in the package. None of them chose the brown bag. They left that package for Dad.

You should have seen their eyeballs just busting out of their sockets and the “vain imaginations” of their hopeful hearts. . . . and imagine what happened as they opened each individual package.

Disappointment doesn’t even come close.

Then, to add to their broken hearts, imagine their horror (and my husband’s) when I took the contents of the diaper and ATE it! (Yes, I ate it)!

There was silence.

And it was then we were able to make the application to the truth that Satan is the Father of ALL lies and he will do ANYTHING in his power to make his ways look delicious to us.

Anything.

But contrast that to how the Savior goes about it.  His ways are simple.

Small and simple.

But right and ever true.

And somewhat so ordinary that we don’t realize how extraordinary they really are.

That’s when my husband opened up his brown paper bag and pulled out candy bars for each member of our family.

It was the real deal. Just as the Savior is to us.

For He will NEVER deceive us.

In fact, more often than not, we get MORE from Him than we will ever expect as we look to Him and live!