19 Cent Integrity

It was a quick stop at the store, just a couple things on the list and I'd be back out the door and headed for home. It was almost 5:00 and I knew that rush hour was starting and, quite frankly, I was tired and ready to call it a day.

It was Kroger and I know the store well so I grabbed everything and quickly made my way to the front. I paused to pick up some flowers (inconsequential to this tale but they make me happy and now that'll be recorded too) and then got into the self-checkout line. I rang up everything, dealt with a coupon, and paid. All was well and then as I put my bags in the cart I spotted it: the lone tomato that had escaped my bag.

I saw it and then I scooped it up and put it in my bag, surreptitiously and knowing even as I did that I had certainly not paid for that little sucker. Almost immediately my instinctive (read that as sinful) nature kicked in and I thought, "Hey, it's just one tomato, I didn't do it on purpose, I'd never steal intentionally. It's just not a big deal."

I had a choice. In that one moment I knew that I was faced with an option. Did I stop, drag out everything and pay for that one lonely tomato or did I just call it a day and not worry about it?

I did have a choice. Nobody would have noticed. It wouldn't have caused some accounting disaster. It wouldn't have made a difference to anyone.

I realized though, it did make a difference to me. It was important because while I actually don't know who is watching my actions here on this planet (but for the record, probably more people than I'd guess) I most assuredly do believe that there is a God to whom I will have to one day give an account for every careless, sinful action that I've committed. I could have added to that already long list today.

Instead, I stopped, pulled that tomato out and paid 19 cents to know that one day when I stand before a very holy and righteous God, I will not have to talk about that lonely tomato.

Today, my integrity cost 19 cents. Tomorrow, it could cost me everything. I hope I'll consider no price too large to pay but, for now, I'm thankful that I chose well on this day.

I just hope that with each choice I make I'm becoming less likely to disregard sin in my life no matter how small I might consider it and that with each decision, I'm becoming more like Him.