COUNTING
THE CHANGE

Topics: Children; Generosity; Giving; Kindness; Money; Relationships; Respect; Unselfishness

References: Galatians 5:22; 1 Timothy 6:18

Many years ago, a boy walked up to the counter of a soda shop and climbed onto a stool. He asked the waitress, “How much is an ice cream sundae?”

“Fifty cents,” the waitress replied.

The boy reached into his pockets, pulled out a handful of change, and began counting. The waitress frowned impatiently.

The boy squinted up at the waitress. “How much is a dish of plain ice cream?”

The waitress rolled her eyes. “Thirty-five cents,” she said.

Again, the boy counted his coins. “I’ll have the plain ice cream, please.” He put a quarter and two nickels on the counter. The waitress took the coins, brought the ice cream, and walked away. About ten minutes later, she returned. The ice cream dish was empty. The boy was gone. She picked up the empty dish then swallowed hard.

There, next to the wet spot where the dish had been, were two nickels and five pennies. The boy had had enough for a sundae, but he ordered plain ice cream so he could leave a tip.

—Pat Williams with James D. Denney, Mr. Littlejon’s Secrets to a Lifetime of Success (Revell, 2000)