Integrity

I heard the story the other day from my younger brothers. They were on a field trip, to Eureka Springs, AR, a beautiful part of the country. They took a trip there with my mom for a few days to enjoy the beauty of fall; to take in the pleasure of the changing colors of the falling leaves.

And along the way, they came upon an observation tower. One dollar they paid to get in. Ninety-nine steps they climbed to the top. All the candy they had (and any other loose objects they found in their pockets) they dropped to the ground (just because it was so fun to watch it fall from that height, and of course, they could certainly retrieve it when once again safely on the ground). Ninety-nine steps they took back down.

And a short time later...they returned. To the tower. This time, not to climb it. But to learn a lesson.

You see, the gate at the bottom was unmanned. A lonely observation tower, it relied on a nifty machine to collect the entry fee. The price? One dollar; per person. The gate? Opens wide for as many people as so desire to pass through.

On their first visit then, they took advantage of this 'flaw' in design, all five of them passing through for the price of one. Until, after leaving, it weighed heavy enough on my mom to cause her to turn around.

Giving each of them a dollar bill to surrender to the collection device, she held four more in her hand. What was at stake here was so much more than the few dollars that might be cheated from the grasp of the machine.

Handing each of them one of the remaining bills from her hand, she said something to them that I will never forget, even though I was not there to hear it myself.

"Sometimes," she told them, "we are willing to sell our integrity for as little as a dollar.

"Always remember that your honesty, your word of honor, your integrity is impossible to be valued in money. Don't sell out at any price!

"You take that dollar bill I've just given you, and place it somewhere where you will see it regularly. And when you do see it, remember to value your integrity."


I will never look at a lonely, lowly dollar bill the same. Her words will always accompany it.

"Sometimes, we are willing to sell our integrity for as little as a dollar."

Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.
- I Corinthians 10:12