Setting a Good Example

You just never know who's watching...

Rob and I went to Taco Bell last night for dinner. He likes to sit on the "tall chairs", and there are only 3 tables like that in the restaurant. 1 table had a family of 4 sitting there, another table had a group of 5 college-age loud boys gathered around it. The only available "high table" was right next to the boys.

I was a little leery, since I never know what is going to come out of the mouths of people around us. Once while we were in a pizza shop after a game, a nice-friendly-looking older man opened the door to come in. He was talking with another man as they entered. Well, that nice-friendly-looking older man had just about the foulest mouth you could imagine! As he walked past us, (we were sort of right near the front door) I said, (admittedly, rather loudly) "children present" and looked directly at him. There were about 4 other families having dinner there. He didn't even give me a glance and kept right on spewing his foul-laced four-letter words.

But I digress...

So Rob and I are sitting right next to the table with 5 college-age boys laughing and being loud as boys do. I was sure I was going to have to go into "mom-mode" and give the "hey guys, there are kids here" lecture when all of a sudden, those boys removed their baseball caps, held hands, bowed their heads and prayed before they ate.

I was both surprised and also ashamed at how I had pre-judged them. They not only set a good example for my son (who was watching them with a big smile on his face), but for the people around them in the restaurant.

I wanted to say something to them as we were leaving, but I didn't. They didn't do that for me, my son, or the people around them. They did it to give thanks to the One who provided everything for them... including the means to buy that 99 cent burrito!

Before I went to sleep that night, I thanked Him too for setting good examples in our every day lives. Thank You God for showing my boy that it's not just moms and dads who pray before dinner. That big-cool-guys are unashamed to bow their heads and give thanks to You.