I walked into the local newspaper and tobacco shop to do some photocopying. Glancing at the list of prices on the photocopy machine, I noticed that if I printed in color it would be 0.15 cents each. Since I only needed 20 colored pages that would come to 3.00 euros, a price I could afford. I needy to do some 100 black and white fotocopies also, which would cost me at 0.03 cents each 3 euros or 6 euros altogether for both black and white and color work.
The shop girl started the machine and I stepped back to wait patiently for the job to be done. As I waited, one of the poor village alcoholics came into the shop. He had five euros in his hand and wanted to charge his phone. I was standing right behind him and was listening as the shop clerk repeated back his phone number to him to make sure she had gotten it right.
“Yes, that’s it.” He responded.
The shopgirl made the on-line transaction and handed him his receipt. He slowly shuffled from the shop, telefone in hand, waiting for his 5 euros to register.
But suddenly, he was back. All worried and frustrated, with tears in his eyes he exclaimed, “It didn’t register! It didn’t register!”
The shopgirl took his phone and checked again what his number was by using his phone to call the shop. Yes, he had gotten two of his numbers mixed up and had given her the numbers in the wrong order. He was emotionally shattered.
“You’ll have to call the company to see if they can transfer your money to your number.”
That seemed like an impossible task for him to accomplish and again the tears welled up in his eyes. The shop started to fill up with other clientes and the shopgirl became noticably worried as she was taking a lot of time with this one man.
“Don’t worry,” I interrupted. “When you get home see if someone can help you call the company. I’ll pay 5 more euros right now,” as I handed the money to the shopgirl to again make the proper transaction to the poor man’s phone.
He was soon on his way and I felt good having done a good deed and been a good example publicly.
By this time, with a backlash of customers, the manager of the shop had come out of her office to help with the movement of clients. My fotocopies had also finished up and it was time for me to pay.
The shopgirl then asked the mamager what price she should charge me for the color printing I had done.
The manager came over to the photocopy machine to check the list of prices. I was standing right there and pointed to the price 0.15 cents for A4 color print text. But the manager responded, “But it’s not that price.”
I didn’t understand what she meant. Since I had done over 100 copies I could get the discounted price on the black and white at 0.03 cents. The color text discount for 100 copies was 0.12 per copy. But I wasn’t asking her to give me a discount on the color work. I told her, “It’s alright, I’ll pay the 0.15 cents because I only did 20 in color.”
Again she responded, “But it’s not that price.”
I repeated again, “It’s alright. I’ll pay the 0.15 cents per copy. It’s okay with me.”
Again she responded, “It’s not that price, but okay, today we will give you that price. But don’t expect that price when you come next time.” And she left for the back of the shop to her office.
It was then the shopgirl showed me what had taken place. I had been looking at and pointing to the list of prices for A4 colored text, which indeed was 0.15 cents per copy. But I had actually photocopied very little text. My color photocopying was almost completely pictures with a small text under each picture. I had not photocopied A4 colored print. I had photocopied A4 colored image, and the price was very different.
She moved her finger down the list of prices and found A4 colored image and said, “You see, it should be 1.00 euro per copy. You should be paying 20 euros just for those 20 color photocopies.
“On my Lord,” I said. I finally realized what the manger was trying to say with her, “It’s not that price.”
I looked up at the shopgirl and said, “God has done a little miracle right here in the shop before our very eyes. I helped that man with the 5 euros for his phone and right now, only a few moments later God has given me back that 5 euros and even more. I’ve been given a 17 euro discount on my bill.”
“It’s really true,” she responed, “God did a little miracle right here,” and she smiled as she went back to attend another customer.
You can’t outgive God, my friends. He says, “Give and it shall be given unto you; pressed down and shaken together, and running over shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that you mete withal it shall be measured unto you again.”[1]
That’s the little miracle God did in the newspaper and tobacco shop today. “He who considers the poor, shall not lack.”[2]
Notes:
[1] Luke 6:38
[2] Psalm 41:1-2 “Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.”
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