Good Things Do Happen

Whenever we read the news it seems that for the best part we tend to focus on the bad rather than the good. I guess good just isn’t sensational enough. Especially when it comes to kids, adults seem to be under the impression that they’re all bad or at least heading that way. But you know what? They’re not. As a matter of fact I think  most kids are great. It’s just that the bad ones just stick out like sore thumbs.

This Halloween evening, the night of all nights when one would expect that if kids were going to do bad things, that would be the one night where bad would be the norm. Saturday evening (Halloween) Dian and I were not able to be home and we were in a bit of a pickle as to what to do about the dozens of kids, young and old, that normally stop by our house for the usual supply of Halloween goodies. I decided to take a leap of faith. We had a 2.5 gallon plastic pail just over half full of candy that we were going to give out. I devised a small paper sign and taped it to the top of the pail. It read; “Please help yourself. Please don’t be greedy as there are other’s besides yourselves”. I put the pail on the front porch of the house with the lights on and left for Camrose.

Several hours later on the way home, Dian and I were speculating on what the result of our little experiment might be. At the very least we were certain that all the candy would be gone and that would be fine, after all we did buy it for the kids. I for one was sure that not only would the candy be gone, the pail would also be nowhere to be found. I mean after all, what could be better for a little hoodlum than a ton of candy in a convenient carrying case?

The truth was far more astounding than the fictional scenarios we had built up in our minds. As we drove up to the house not only was the pail still on the porch, almost half of the candy was still in the pail! They did dig through the goodies to remove all the smarties though.
It reminded me of my morning Bible reading in the book of Matthew, that I should have had more faith and that we should not be judgemental of others.

Matthew 7
Judging Others

1."Do not judge, or you too will be judged.

2. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

3. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

4. How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?

5. You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.


Thanks to the kids that came. It was a lesson learned for me.
Ted Okkerse