The Blessing of 55 Cents

     One day I was trying to figure out how many glass honey jars would fit into a flat rate box .  I had folded the box, but had not taped it because I didn't plan to use it right away.  I had left it on a stool with the glass jars still it (not the best thing to do).  My youngest sister, Charity, who was ten years old and just turned eleven, came along, and as it was her duty to clean the kitchen she grabbed the box to use the stool.  Much to her surprise, the bottom opened up, and all jars fell to the floor. One glass shattered.  I heard the noise and came to see the result of leaving my jars in a precarious position.  As I cleaned my mess, Charity asked me how much the jars cost.  I said, "Around fifty some cents."  She said, "Just a minute, I'll be right back."  And she was right back with 55 cents in her hand.  I said, "You keep it," in a gentle way.  Later when I came to my room.  I saw some change on my bed stand.  I tried to think where it came from until I noticed it was 55 cents. After relating this to my sister, Wendy, she said that was cute, but it was my fault for leaving the box as I did.  I agreed, and assured her that Charity would get her money back.

      Perhaps the reason this incident blessed me so much is because it is the common courtesies and the sense of responsibility that is so missing in our culture. I just saw a handmade sign that said sarcastically, "Thanks for hitting my cat and not stopping." With the irresponsibility comes a lot of anger because of thoughtlessness.  This isn't the first culture to go through this.  Edward Gibbon spoke of this in his classic book "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" when he wrote:
      "In the end, more than freedom, they wanted security.  They wanted a comfortable life, and they lost it all - security, comfort,and freedom. When the Athenians finally wanted not to give to society but for society to give to them, when the freedom they wished for most was freedom from responsibility then Athens ceased to be free and was never free again."

     Gibbon's analysis of what happened to Athens could very easily become a future historian's analysis of America if there isn't some major changes in personal responsibility.  It will have to be individuals that recognise their responsibilities.  I believe it must come with a spiritual revival with many people recognising that even if they don't see all the rewards of their labor here in their lifetime that they will see all things made right in the life to come when all things are judged rightly.  Whether or not we live to see our culture embrace responsibility, we can see a little slice a paradise in our own homes with God's help.