Years ago, while on a youth group retreat, we had all finished breakfast at a McDonald’s and were walking back to the bus when I heard some loud shouting in the drive thru. It was clearly a man’s voice loudly berating the McDonald’s drive thru employee and as his car pulled away I could see a young woman hunched at the window, sobbing. The pastor on the trip with me also heard it and after a quick nod of the head we both jogged over to the drive through window.
As we attempted to comfort her, the pastor asked her what was wrong.
She told us that the man had paid with cash and some change… the change totaled 11 cents and she mistakenly thought the dime and the penny he gave her were two penny’s. The dime was darkened and looked like a penny– with a quivering outstretched hand she showed us – and she told us she simply asked him for the other 9 cents. Instead of extending kindness he exploded with vile anger, and reduced this young woman to rumble.
Have you ever wondered God is so concerned about how we treat each other?
You and I… we are created in God’s image…
How we treat one another is how we treat the image of God.
What are your 9 cent moments? We all have them.
It might not be destroying the spirit of a fast food worker in a drive thru…
But being unkind is not new…
Over this next week take some time to reflect on your past 9 cent moments.
What was it that led you to that 9 cent moment?
What continues to wind you up, producing those 9 cent moments?
And in all of that may you remember that you are made in God’s image… so are others…
You were made for more… more kindness.
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