Mr. Estrada certainly could have used the money. About six months ago, he opened a landscaping and artificial-grass business and is in debt; he says his child support payments are tough to make; and he supports his mother, who moved in with him last year after she lost her house to a fumbled refinancing plan. Yet, Mr. Estrada went straight to the police and turned in all $140,000.00.

Apparently a Brinks armored truck somehow lost the money. Brinks rewarded Mr. Estrada for his good deed by giving him $2,000.00.

What would you do if you found money?

So now, was Mr. Estrada a really a "moron"? Only if one views such values as honesty, integrity, and the "golden rule" as foolish. But what about the cheap reward that was offered? Some on this blog said that if they knew the reward for turning in the money would have been so small, they would have kept it. But do we have to be financially rewarded for doing the right thing? Are our values so degraded that we feel we deserve a "reward" for doing what we're supposed to do?

A moron? Hardly. Here's a man who has demonstrated that he had sufficient intelligence to know that some things are more valuable than money ... things like integrity, honesty, and doing the right thing. Thank you, Mr. Estrada, for your example. May your tribe increase!

Now then, truthfully, what would you do if you found money? Give it some thought.

But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;
Redeem me, and be gracious to me (Psalm 26:11 NASB).

 

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© 2008 Steve Higginbotham

Title: "A Moron?"
Author: Steve Higginbotham
Publication Date: April 15, 2008

Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul by John & Stasi Eldredge Many Christian women are tired, struggling under the weight of the pressure to be a "good servant," a nurturing caregiver, passionate lover, or capable home manager. What Wild at Heart did for men, this book can do for women.

Steve Higginbotham is a native of West Virginia. His father also preached. Steve serves the South Green Street congregation in Glasgow, Kentucky. Steve & Kim have four children, Kelli, Michael, Matthew, and Anne Marie.

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