Now, here is where the story gets really interesting. My friend returned to the store, months after this crystallized moment of remembered thievery…she asked to speak to the store manager and told him what she had done and offered to pay for the item. The manager was dumbfounded and asked her, how long ago had this occurred. She said months, probably four to five months ago. She told him she was sorry for not having gone in sooner, and that she took too long in returning to the store. The manager shook his head and said he had never heard of anyone doing what she was doing. Dear reader, this was my friends second time of taking something when a clerk hadn’t rung in an item…and it was her second time returning to a store to try to make things “right”, an act of contrition.
Friend, have you stolen lately, have you stolen often, have you made it a way of life and lastly, have you made it okay, acceptable, excusable? What have you stolen? Have you stolen someone else’s spouse, joy, peace, product, time…are you a thief? My friend had dirty hands. She could not enjoy the item she stole. It pained her each time her eyes landed on it. It was not hers and did not belong in her house. It belonged to another. She had to have clean hands. She had to confess at the risk of being known as a thief. She could have kept silent. You could keep silent…but you will know, won’t you? We have all fallen short, taken what has not belonged to us and benefited from someone else’s error and someone else’s labour but not everyone confesses in contrition. What about you? Are you ready to come clean? Purity is novel and it is possible, my friend is living proof.
