Defining Moments
Character seems to show themselves small ways everyday. Most people have figured out how to look good and be good in front of an audience. The audience brings with it some built in accountability. However, true character can only be revealed when no one is looking. It is in moments of solitude, when no one will ever know what we did or how we did it, that the substance of who we are is revealed.
For instance, have you ever gotten too much change back from a cashier? I remember candidly as a 10-year-old boy in Sherman, Texas riding my bike, the Redline 600a, to the local 7-11 on a hot, summer day to enjoy the pleasures of a cherry icee, some skittles, and a couple of dollars worth of Mrs. Pac Man, one of the greatest games ever created. Having procured my culinary delights and not really paying attention to exchange of commerce, which had just transpired, I began to limber up my fingers for what would prove to be at least 10-12 minutes of high paced excitement. As I was putting the money into my pocket, I realized I have been given a ten-dollar bill, some one-dollar bills, and some coins. Knowing I had only brought a ten-dollar bill with me on my journey, I knew the cashier had made a mistake. At that moment, my 10-year-old mind began to consider the possibilities. This had just become the greatest day ever. This newfound fortune, because ten bucks is a lot of money when you’re ten, was going to provide me which hours of entertainment and benevolent possibilities. I immediately determined to invest a least five-dollars into the successful annihilation of Mrs. Pac
Then it happened. I began to hear the voice in my head. It wasn’t just any voice; it was her voice – my mother. Why was this tyrant plaguing me now? Wasn’t it enough I had done my chores? Even three blocks away, her mom radar was picking up the joy of my new found wealth and this must be why she was out to destroy it. The voice was louder and louder, until I could not take it anymore. The voice was reminding me of what we had been learning over these last few months at the kitchen table. The first phrase that stood out was, “Thy shall not Steal.” While we didn’t usually use the King James Version of the Bible, preferring the New International Version, a poster displaying the Ten Commandments articulated this command with this verbiage. Having grasped, even at the age of ten, that stealing was not limited to bank robberies and carjackings, I knew to keep the money would be stealing. In my mind I began to justify how the oversight of the cashier was not my fault. I dug my heels in firmly, believing the man behind the counter would learn a good lesson from this experience.
Then it happened. I began to hear the voice in my heart. It wasn’t just any voice; it was His voice—my Lord. Have you ever noticed when God is speaking to you directly, even at 10-years-old, you figure out quickly you don’t need to talk back. There are just some conversations you are not going to win. I began to realize that not giving back this money was really not about the money. It was about my obedience to do what was right when no one was looking simply because of God’s command. I either believed in Him and as He said or I didn’t. Even when it is painful, it is still nice to be close enough to the Lord to hear His voice.
So I made my way back to the counter. I told the man what had happened. As it turned out, he could have gotten fired for being short of money in his cash register, this is something you don’t think about when you are 10-years-old. He thanked me, said he appreciated my honesty, and gave me a Slo Poke; the Slo Poke the caramel nougat that can survive nuclear fallout. As I rode home, having enjoyed my icee and 10-12 minutes of Mrs. Pac Man, I rode home with my character in tact…and a Slo Poke.
