Today I found out two things; three cups of Caribou French Roast Coffee will make me jittery and people are surprised with honesty.

To set up my experience today I first must give you a little background on the area in which I live. Just outside of a small village in Northern Ohio is where I dwell. I do not have the luxury of water that is purified and brought to my house through pipes that are supplied by a city. I do however have water at my house. It comes from a well deep under the ground. Believe it or not many people get water like this. I do not have to take my bucket to the well every morning nor do I have to have Lassie rescue Timmy from it once a month. I have a pump that bring the water to my house.

Once the water is in my house I can use it for whatever I like. I treat and purify the water in my house first. You see there is enough Iron in my water to build a skyscraper. I have a house filter, water softener and osmosis system to purify my water for use. For my softener I have to buy salt.

The need for salt has brought me to my local grocer. While I was there I asked for one kind of salt with a special additive to help get rid of the rust color that plagues my toiled, sinks, tub and clothes. This salt costs more than the regular salt. I was charged for the regular less expensive salt. I hurt my back on Christmas day so I had to have someone help me get the salt. He knew what salt I was charged for and grabbed that salt. I corrected him and told him what salt I needed. He let me know that I bought the cheeper salt. I looked at the receipt and he was right. I told him to load the correct salt and I would run in and take care of the balance that I needed to pay.

I hobbled back into the store and up to the customer service counter. I explained the situation and paid my $2.13 that I owed for the salt I needed. The woman working then said “Thank you for being honest.” I replied, “It is what I am called to be.”

This kind of situation has happened to me quite a few times. Every time I make sure that I have paid the correct amount or give back the extra change I was given the people I am working with seemed to be a little surprised that I did that. I’m sure many of you reading this have done the same thing. We wouldn’t dare cheat a store like that. After all if I were to walk away without paying the extra money I would be stealing. Isn’t that against one of the Ten Commandments?

This seems like such an easy decision for most of us to make. We often are pretty proud of our decisions when we do things like this. We usually get thanked and that makes us feel good. Are we making the sam decisions when there is no one around to acknowledge our honesty?

What are we looking at on the internet when no one is around? What kind of jokes are we telling or reading when we are with our friends? What are we thinking about other people? What is your conscience telling you? This year lets work on making the things we do in secret glorifying to God and what he is calling us to be.

I am saying a prayer for this tonight, please say one with me.