The Change

hot fries on my lap

My son advised for me to take a break from cooking. He wanted me to just rest. Him and my husband wanted to pick up something for lunch yesterday. My husband suggested the old diner where we always went for burgers and fries.

After running an errand, we proceeded to drive toward that diner we frequented pre-pandemic. Post- pandemic, we still went but always through the drive-thru. Not because we were afraid of being with people but because it was more comfortable eating at home to savor the labor less meals.

Paying at the window, my son handed a $50 whole bill for $28 we owe. The familiar guy, despite the mask donned on his face, who usually happened to take our orders each time, cheerfully gave a change of $22 which my son quickly gave to his dad, sitting on the passenger side, as my son prepared his hands to receive, anticipating for our bagged lunch be handed over to him through that window. I saw my husband looking at the dollar bills intently as my son paid attention also, wondering why his dad was holding the paper bills longer than he used to. No wonder! As my husband counted the change, an extra $20 bill was hidden behind one which that guy gave.

There were no second thoughts between the three of us. We knew surrendering that extra $20 bill was the right thing to do.

"Excuse me!", my son uttered as he softly raised his right hand to get the guy's attention.

"I gave you a $50 bill and I'm supposed to pay $28," he added, as the guy now was closer to the square window, the whiff of freshly-fried potato fries spilling toward our car.

I could see a little annoyance through his eyes even with the dark blue mask he wore. I felt he might be a little offended that my son, waving all the paper bills change he gave in front of him, was challenging his accuracy regarding the money exchange. 

With a sure, slightly arrogant tone, he replied, "Yeah! But I gave you $22 dollars!!!" 

"No!," my son replied.

"You gave me $42, so here's the other $20 back!" 

Those hurt look kind of gaze was immediately replaced with a grateful kind as his voice cracked and didn't know how to thank my son. How to thank all of us.

As someone else handed him our order, I heard "Thank you guys" many times from him and ended with a wish for us to have a nice day.

Moving out of the drive-thru, my husband started a prayer. We all thanked the Lord Who deserved to be praised first for giving us strength to always do the right thing in what would always be pleasing to Him. Secondly, for the bagged lunch He blessed us with.

It was a good teaching moment for our son, and also to my husband and I, that we must continue to walk in integrity despite these evil times. I could only hope that the guy learned something, too that assessing the whole scenario first would be helpful than jumping to conclusion that he didn't make a mistake. I prayed that it softened his heart to know that there was nothing wrong about being corrected if it would improve towards some kind of growth on his part in dealing with their customers. 

I didn't want to write about this. I wanted to keep it between me and my family. But this morning, I felt the need to do so as the Lord made me feel that we all fall into traps of temptations. There are many kinds. 

It's not our own strength that will help us get out of them. It is His.

It's not the change (money) that was a big deal. It's our hearts, (especially if calloused) that need to change and be softened by His grace. 

8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. - Philippians 4:8-9 (NLT)

10 “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. 11 And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? 12 And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?" - Luke 16:10-12 (NLT)