A Dish of Ice Cream
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a coffee shop and sat at the counter. The waitress put a glass of water in front of him and asked what he’d like.
“How much is an ice cream sundae?”, The little boy asked.
“50 cents,” replied the waitress.
The little boy pulled a handful of change out of his pocket and studied the number of coins in his collection of coins.
“How much is a dish of plain ice cream?” he inquired. Some people were now waiting for a table, and the waitress was getting a bit impatient.
“35 cents,” she said brusquely.
The little boy again counted the coins, then said, “I will have the plain ice cream.” The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the counter and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and departed.
When the waitress came back, she began wiping down the table and then swallowed hard at what she saw.
There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, was 15 cents – her tip.
Moral of this story:
In a world that continually pushes us to get all we can, it’s important to be reminded of the power of generosity. The little boy had had enough for a sundae ice cream, but he had ordered plain ice cream so he could leave a tip for the waitress. The same waitress, who was a bit rude to him. But her behavior did not affect the little boy’s kind heart. He left the tip for her. Small acts of kindness must be done whenever possible in life.
Another strong message the story communicates is – Do not judge the book by its cover! The waitress got impatient and was a bit rude due to the delay, when boy was calculating the coins. No matter what the situation is, always treat others as you would want to be treated. At times, we pass judgement on others too quickly by what we see on the surface. We should never judge a person, till we do not know the reason behind his/her behavior.
Waiting on some ice cream and smiling, Pastor Larry
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