A Validated Audible

About a month ago in my blog entry titled "Calling an Audible", I discussed a conversation we had with our daughter regarding honesty, why it's important and how to live an honest life.  Three weeks after that discussion, Leah and I were out and about running errands.  At one point we had stopped at a gas station on Main Street to put air in the tires.

 

While we were putting air in the tires, we watched a homeless man on a bike approach the air pump.  Since he had two small tires to pump up and we had 4 large tires to pump up, we deferred to him the use of the pump.  After he pumped up his tires, he proceeded to rummage through a dumpster about 15 yards from us.  Leah inquired of me as to what he was doing and why he was taking things from the trash.  I explained that some are not as blessed as we are and that is why we try to do acts of service like Jesus would.  I'll come back to the homeless man in a moment.

 

While filling the tires with air, Leah spotted a piece of paper about 20 yards away, in the park strip between the sidewalk and the street.  It was a $5 bill.  She hurried to get it before it blew away and brought it back to me excitedly.  "A dollar!  A dollar!  Look what I found Dad!"  She immediately recognized it wasn't hers and asked what she should do with it.  I in turn asked her what SHE thought she should do with it.  She didn't hesitate when she replied, "It's not mine so I guess we should turn it in.  Just in case the person who lost it is looking for it."

 

In our conversation a few weeks earlier we had discussed this exact scenario.  "What should we do if we find money that isn't ours?"  I'm glad we had that discussion.  I'm proud that Leah remembered it and had no hesitation regarding what she should do in her current predicament.  Realistically, nobody would be looking for that $5 bill.  It probably hadn't even been lost by somebody at that gas station.  It probably blew there from down the street.  Nonetheless, we went into the Hart's gas station/store and Leah explained to the lady at the cash register that she had found the money and that it wasn't hers.  She explained she wanted to turn it in so that it would be there if the person who lost it had come looking for it.

 

The employee as well as the other employee and customer nearby expressed how awesome they thought Leah was.  They told her that they were very impressed with her honesty and asked if they could take down her name and my phone number so that they may call should the bill go unclaimed.  Leah was all smiles as she shyly gave her name with my permission.  The two employees and the customer offered fist bumps and high 5's to Leah before we left.  As we drove home she asked if it would have been right to give the money to the homeless man she had seen.  She recognized he needed it more than she did, but also was conflicted because it was not her money to give.  We had a good discussion regarding other ways we can serve that man or others like him.

 

Later the next night, the Hart's store called to let Leah know that she could come by and pick up her $5 bill.  The following day, Monday the 5th, Sarah took Leah to Hart's to pick up her reward for being honest.  I was well on my way to Colorado that day for a business trip, but Sarah texted me the picture below.  It is hard to make out, but you can see Leah holding up her $5 bill before leaving Hart's.  You can't really see her smile, but you can tell by her eyes that she is grinning ear to ear. 

 

I want my kids to learn so many things...perhaps too many things, but above all, I want them to learn to be honest in all they do and to be kind to everybody they meet.  It's moments like these that make me think, "Maybe we're doing an okay job after all."