"It's a sin to ..... a pin"

In one of my favorite movies, "Amelie," there is a scene where the pixie-like lead character's love interest is being checked out by her coworker. What is the quickest way to assess if this stranger, who happens to work in a porn/adult toy store, is suitable boyfriend material for her friend? She tests his knowelege of proverbs. Not that I can remember them all, but suitable examples would be:

A bird in the hand . . . . is worth two in the bush.
Those who live in glass houses . . . shouldn't throw stones.
Better to be safe . . . . . . than sorry.
It's a sin to . . . . . . steal a pin.

The pin thing was the example that stuck in my mind, no pun intended.


When my kids were growing up it was important for me to set an example to them. If a clerk handed you too much change, you let them know and gave it back. If an item you ordered wasn't on your check, you let your waitress know. I never considered it smart or clever to get away with dimes, nickles, or cheese cake that was "free," but didn't belong to me. God knows, it comes out of someone's pocket.

Recently at my place of employment, money has been disappearing as quickly as shampoo bottles in carry on luggage. Not just small amounts but thousands of dollars. Cameras had to be installed, employees questioned by the police, mistrust and suspicion has become commonplace at my workplace. It was there that I had a little incident that brought this pin proverb home to me. While unsucessfully trying to get some unnecessary calories out of the snack machine, viola... a five dollar bill popped out at me.


Then... I had a choice to make. Be happy that I now had $5 that was someone else's misfortune to lose, or connect with the snack machine lady and let her know I had $5 that belonged to someone else. I hesitated for maybe a split second, but patterns of behavior usually win out. It did not belong to me. Days later when the enthusiastic, talkative, grateful, middle aged, evangelistic, Asian snack business lady had her money back in her hand she was barraging me with blessings.
"You know most people would not have done this, God bless you."
"It's so hard to find honest people these days. Thank you so much, Bless you."
"Most people just take, they don't care, God bless you."
"I had already paid the person back who lost their money in the machine, I figured there was no way I would get it back, may the Lord richly bless you." etc. etc.
Frankly, I covet God's blessings. Any blessings that God can send my way, via a sneeze or an act of honesty, I say "Bring it on God, health, wealth, wisdom, protection, peace. Whatever goodies you got, I want as much as I can get."

There is a Jewish story about a man who owns a dry cleaning business. He has a nephew who has just joined his work staff. The uncle deliberately places a nickel in a customer's pants pocket, to see what his nephew will do. His nephew brings him the nickel to ask him how he should return it to the customer. The uncle tells him that it was a test. The nephew was surprised, thought about his test and said, "Wouldn't it have been a better test if you had put in a ten or twenty dollar bill?" To which the uncle replied, "If I can trust you with a nickel, I can trust you with the business."


If you, or I, can be trusted with the little things, we prove ourselves to God and HE rewards us. Maybe access to thousands of dollars in cash & merchandise is God's test as to whether or not he can trust you with hundreds of thousands of dollars. God is not about to bless those who cleverly conceal their theft, but he will bless those who are honest and generous.


On my most recent trip back to Virginia Beach, I visited a friend of mine who was in jail for stealing. He stole items from people who loved & trusted him, because in his addiction, he did what addicts do. Are we so addicted to petty gain that we will sell out our integrity for anything from a nickel to name brand luxury items costing thousands? Now my friend sits in jail, paying a heavy price for something that many others are also guilty of, they just don't get caught, or they just don't know the people whom they steal from.

It is not the norm to care about honesty on the "pin" and "nickel" level. But it has worked for me. It could be the reason why my husband's laptop was recovered and returned to me, lost as it was, in the den of thieves where I work. It could also be the reason why on a cold, windy, drenching January night in New York City, the purse I left behind in an anonymous taxicab was returned to me within a few desparate minutes by an honest taxi driver. Karma or my New York City Miracle? It was a huge blessing.

Do you want the Lord to bless you? Then bless others by your honesty. Believe me, honesty in material matters is rare, and can be a source of blessing to many others when fleshed out. Remember to be an example of the kingdom of God in the real world and put into practice the proverb...
"It's a sin to steal a pin."