I Almost Sold My Integrity for $2.25

Published on March 5, 2010 by CT in Blog, Stories

5

Thursday, late afternoon.

Downtown Minneapolis.

Nichollet Avenue and 5th.

Lite-Rail Station.

Clear sky, cold air.

Credit card in hand.

Ticket machine.

Credit card doesn’t work.

Thinking the machine is broken.

Step back.

Woman buys a ticket.

Man buys a ticket.

Train arrives.

Credit card back in wallet.

Board the train.

Sit and work.

Bag falls over as the train lurches.

Setting sunlight streams in the windows.

Exit the train.

Check my pockets for wallet and phone.

Up the escalator.

Another ticket machine.

Walk past.

Spirit speaks.

Pause and consider.

Walk back.

Buy ticket.

Toss it into the trash.

Walk away.

Question:  How much is your integrity worth?

  • indymavs

    That still, small, quiet nudging. Rarely is it some huge, major, black or white, life or death decision. Those small decisions are the ones that build or tear down. That make us more or less in tune with the Spirit. That make us more or less likely to listen the next time we hear that whisper.

  • Aristarchus

    Wow. I love this story. Best parts: "check my pockets for wallet and phone." – that's a smart train rider. and "Pause and consider."
    It says so much by saying so little. Man, great story. I love the picture I get of that pausing as everyone is rushing past while you feel that small tug, just like indymavs said, that split second thought that zipped into mind. Then the consideration: Is it right, is it wrong? Does it matter? Did the Spirit really say that?
    Why do we even consider it? But God shows us the flaws in our thinking and gently corrects us not simply demanding relationless obedience.
    Man, so good.

  • http://www.christianclothingblog.com Greg Ryan

    Great post, most of the major offenses begin with small "openings". Not exactly sure how all this "spiritual stuff" works but I know Satan can do terrible things with an open door. I believe God's Spirit speaks to all of us, thank you for sharing how He spoke to you.
    My recent post How to discern the “Spirit of Religion”

  • http://twitter.com/abbylive @abbylive

    I love this story! :)

  • http://www.christiancognition.blogspot.com Mike

    I am a State Trooper and one of our Sergeants always hammered us on the small stuff. This dated all the way back to when each of us was in recruit school. Our dorms were scrutinzed for lint and dust, our bathrooms for hair and lack of cleanliness, our notes for neatness, etc.

    Fast forward to this particular sergeant. Even when it was 95 degrees outside and we were in a back room where none of the public could see us, this sergeant would remind us to keep our top buttons buttoned and our ties clipped. We complained, but he harped on us because he always said it's the small compromises that lead to the big ones.

    I've had to do what you have. The Spirit convicts us and reminds us to be faithful in the small things.