2¢ Worth

Today in Costco, one of my children swiped 2¢ from the cashier's check stand. 

If that was not bad enough, I had made a specific point of telling that child that they were NOT to take those two pennies.

Once we had gotten all of our groceries out to the car and loaded up, the child accidentally dropped one of the coins and it dawned on me what they'd done.

I was quite disappointed, a touch angry, and I knew a bit of embarrassment (and not just for my child) must soon follow.

We had a discussion about what s/he had just done, and why it was wrong.

"But it's only 2¢, Mom! And the guy didn't even know it was there, probably!" the child countered.

"Even taking 2¢ that does not belong to you is stealing." I told them.

"But that is not all that concerns me," I went on, "I made a very clear, deliberate point of telling you that you were NOT to touch or take those 2¢, didn't I?"

The child agreed that I had.

The tears began to fall as I explained what must be done now.

I told the children we had to all go back in to Costco and that it would be up to the child to explain to the cashier what had been done.

Even if it was just 2¢.

We must have made quite a procession as we tromped back into Costco, all the children bug eyed and the one still teary eyed.

We waited until the cashier had a moment, and the child quietly told him what they had done. The cashier acted rather confused, as he tried to figure out what he was being told and why he was being handed 2¢ from my child.

Although we explained a couple of times what the child had done, the young cashier never quite seemed to understand why it was an issue. An older gentleman in line, however, overheard the whole conversation, and looked my child square in the face and said, 

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"Thank you!

Thank you for doing the right thing,

even though it was hard!"

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And he smiled great big at the rest of the bug-eyed crew and the somewhat flustered mom.

My crew walked out of Costco for the second time that day, knowing and understanding what had just happened.

I pray that they will remember the experience and that it will not be repeated.

But more than that, I pray that my children will grow up to be Godly men and women with strong character, who do the right thing, even when it's hard and nobody is looking.

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And let us not grow weary of doing good,

for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Galatians 6:9 

Train up a child in the way he should go,

And when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6