During the holidays a few years ago, there seemed to have been many honesty tests to pass!  That happens sometimes in that it seems everywhere you go, your faith is challenged!  What do I mean by challenged?  Well, if you’ve ever been given too much change back and you didn’t say anything but kept it, you failed a faith-test!  Your faith was challenged and you failed the challenge.

During that Christmas, Alpha Hubby and I went to Wally World to purchase a television for our den area.  While the credit card receipt was printing, the electricity to the terminal suddenly went out and the receipt got stuck in the printer.  They eventually tore it out for us, but sent us to the service desk to get another copy since this one was missing the bottom line.

After 45 minutes of waiting and talking with a male bimbo (ugh, sorry Lord, but he was) who said he had been told it had already been taken care of, Alpha Hubby had enough and we went home.  We had our original receipt.

When the credit card bill came in, there was no charge on it for the television.  Obviously when the electricity cut off, the transaction did not go through even though a receipt was in the process of printing.  This was a significant amount that just did not show up on their books.  We basically walked out of the store with a free television.  What a win-win situation!  NOT!

Now here is when most people would have said, “Well, praise the Lord and Merry Christmas to ME!”  Know how I know that?  This is basically what the store manager said when Alpha Hubby went in to correct the issue.  Everyone Alpha Hubby dealt with was so shocked that he came back in to take care of the bill that didn’t exist.  The manager was so impressed that he took $75 off the bill for the television.  THAT was a nice surprise.

Just last week, I opened a box that had come in the mail from a well known online store.  Inside was an item I did not order or pay for.  Yep, another one of those honesty tests.  After emailing the store, they thanked me and told me to keep the item.  That is like the rug I ordered and received five instead of one.  That took forever to correct and again, people were shocked at the honesty.  I got to keep the five rugs but only after letting someone know I had them.

But you know what?  This should NOT be anything to be shocked about.  It is required of us as children of God.  We should be different than everyone else – more honorable, more honest and more of what Jesus is.

We represent Jesus everywhere we go, in every action we take, in everything we say, everything we do, and how we react in any given situation.  From being given too much change to taking care of a television that wasn’t paid for – we are the ambassadors of Christ on this earth.

Let’s remember this while going about our business the rest of this time before Christmas Day, when we celebrate the birth of Jesus.  Be a little more patient.  Look for opportunities to help someone.  Always be honest and honorable.  Be kind to those around you.

For some people, that saying is true – YOU are the only Jesus some people will ever see!

Until next time,