yesterday I ran some errand and one of those errands was getting some gas. I didn't want to fill up since I am getting paid on Friday, I just needed enough to get me around for the next few days. So into AMPM I pull and use one of those nifty kiosks because I didn't want to drag Juliet all the way into the store and back again for $5.00 worth of gas.
I put in my five dollar bill watch the little light turn green, hear the ticking of the machine as it counts it to make sure that really is what I put in. Then something peculiar happens...out spits the five dollar bill and up pops a message on the screen "$5.00 accepted, push enter to continue".. 'um no' I think, 'stupid machine counted my money and then gave it back' thinking it was a mistake I try again. I put the bill back in and it clicks, the light turns green and up pops the message again. Now its telling me I have $10.00 to pump. So trying my hardest to be a good person and being honest in our dealing with our fellow men, pump the ten and then drive around to the door.
I lug Juliet in, talk to the cashier, who looked at me as if I had just sprouted a talking pimple on my nose then called for her boss. He comes out and I explain the situation again. "i just don't want you to be short in your till or machine today so here is the other five dollars" He looks at me much the same way and says " thanks for being so honest".
As I was walking out I heard a lady say, well that was nice, you don't see that everyday....what? what do you mean you don't see that everyday? I have a child who I need to rear up to find what is honest and good in the world, who needs to know right from wrong and me paying the five dollars that I pumped into my gas tank was something out of the norm.
Really is it that surprising that I would come in and pay the extra five dollars? I mean I could have driven off with a fat five bucks in my pocket and a full ten bucks worth of gas in my tank. But I didn't want it coming back on me. I would feel bad for weeks and probably never go back to that gas station again, thinking in some weird way they would find out what I had done and then demand the five plus interest. haha. but no really I found it very sad and perplexing that they would find this act of honesty random and almost unwelcome. It was like they were waiting for the catch.
I do have to wonder how many of the people in line that heard my story thought to themselves 'I wouldn't have done that' or 'wow, that was cool', or 'what an idiot - shoulda taken the gas and run with it'.
I wont' lie, that thought did cross my mind for a brief moment and for that moment I actually thought 'wow, Heavenly Father is helping me get some extra gas', but then I thought that is not the way he would do it and maybe this is a test on my part...to see if I had actually paid attention in Sunday school the day before. :) well I hope I passed. And I hope that maybe it inspired people to be more honest, even with the small things.
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Good for you. I bet that made you smile to do the right thing. Once I got full credit on an assignment I clearly only did half of. The professor's TA graded my paper and missed the heading that said, "Only half the assignment is here." She gave me full credit. So I emailed him and told him. He gave me full credit for being honest. But I'm no saint. It was a four point assignment, so I was only out two points for doing half of it. But still, it's the principle of the thing. I'm still a good person, right?:)
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