And he still maintains his integrity. (Job 2:3)
While I was in the army several years ago, I also served as a youth pastor in San Antonio, Texas. One of the youth was Dale. Even before I officially met him, his mother had told me that Dale would “talk my ears off about driving and cars” because he was at the age of getting his driver’s license.
Roxene and I were thinking about selling our vehicle to buy another one. When Dale heard about our intentions, he came to me and said, “Sell me your car!”
I hesitated before responding. Dale must have sensed my hesitancy, for he quickly stated, “I don’t have the money myself, but my parents said they would pay you in installments—and then I will pay them back.”
We agreed to the “plan.” Dale’s parents did pay us a few installments, but before long the payments stopped. Over time we moved away and lost track of Dale and his parents.
Almost forty years later, I received a message on Facebook. It was from Dale, sharing that he had found my name on Facebook and remembered the unfulfilled debt. He wrote, “I want to be known as a person of integrity. I am sending you the rest of the money I owe you by snail mail. Having this debt over my head has made me feel miserable. Please forgive me.”
Be a person of integrity and make things right when possible.
Jim “Umf” Lo is a professor at Indiana Wesleyan University, cross-cultural leader, intercessor, and author of several books published by Wesleyan Publishing House.
© 2021 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
