It’s one of those things of life…Claire had a flat tire on Thursday morning. We knew we would need to get tires within the next 6 to 9 months, but we weren’t expecting it this week. So I took the flat to a local tire place and my thoughts were confirmed – it was a no go – too much damage to put it back on. Since we have all wheel drive on that vehicle you can’t replace just 2 tires at a time unless you buy tires of similar wear – nope the hole enchilada – all 4 would have to be replaced. It also turned out that we needed an alignment.
When it was time to go back to pick up the vehicle and pay there was a different manager. He told me the final price, and I was about to slide the credit card in the machine I realized he didn’t ring up the alignment charge. I hesitated for a moment, and the thought came to my head, “It is their fault for not charging for it. You can walk out of here without paying for that.” I didn’t listen to that thought but instead reminded the guy about the alignment charge. He was both surprised and thankful for an honest customer, which opened the door for a profitable conversation about integrity and Jesus.
I’m not writing this so you will think I’m a good person. I’m writing it because we are all tested like this multiple times a year. We need to remember that integrity is of much higher value than the amount in our bank accounts. If you are a follower of Jesus, your testimony will impact others – either for the good of those who see and the glory of God or negatively as a hindrance to the Lord’s work.
This example shows the heart of the meaning of Matthew 5:13-16, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
Let’s pray that God would help us to do what is right in all such circumstances.
PS – As a thank you the manager gave me 50% off the cost of the alignment.
Love 