CYBERCOLUMN:
An ATM, Butch and Sundance, and a lesson learned
___By Brett Younger
___The driver in front of us looked ready to open fire on the ATM. He kept asking for advice from his passenger, who finally got out, walked around the white pick-up truck and punched the buttons himself.
___If this were an old western, he would have shot the bank teller and been done with it. The machine eventually relented and spit out a big wad of money, which he jammed into the pocket of his jeans. Butch and Sundance obviously were irritated as they pulled into a
drive-through teller lane.
___I rolled up to the machine to ask, as I always feel compelled to ask, "Why do they have Braille keypads at a drive-up ATM?"
___But my eyes were caught by the question still on the screen. Rather than the usual: "Hello. Welcome to First National Bank," it surprisingly read: "Do you want another transaction? …"
___ The impatient guys in the white pick-up had been impatient enough to leave in the middle of their transaction. I had great fun thinking about what an unscrupulous person might do. The less virtuous person I imagined being would press yes followed by withdrawal then from savings then from checking and finally book a trip to Bermuda.
___ With some reluctance, I pushed "no" and took their card and receipt. They still had more than enough in their checking account to go to Bermuda.
___ I pointed to the pick-up and spoke to my son, "Graham, take these to the driver and tell him he forgot them."
___ I expected Butch to shower my son with gratitude. Graham knocked on the window and then handed the card and receipt to a man who made no visible response.
___ "What did he say?" I asked as Graham got back in my car.
___ "He didn’t say anything."
___ "Did he seem appreciative?"
___ "He looked at me like, ‘What are you doing here, kid?’"
___ I started to get upset as I finished my transaction—withdrawal: Checking, $20.00, No, Please take card.
___ When you do something nice, people should say, "Thank you."
___ I planned to give the ungrateful pair a leer that said, "You should be ashamed for not thanking an 11-year-old who could have gone to Bermuda." But before I could begin my icy stare, Sundance came running toward our car waving a $20 bill.
___ I said, "That’s not necessary," but he wasn’t offering it to me. He handed it to Graham, smiled and offered words to live by, "Stay honest, kid."
___ On the way home, I wondered aloud whether we should split the $20 since I was the one who handed the ATM card to Graham. My son suggested that God might be repaying money Graham had given to a hunger offering, and that extremely dubious but intriguing possibility should keep me out of it.
___ I’m afraid that part of the fun of being given $20 was being reaffirmed in our common, but mistaken, belief that every good deed should pay off. Much of the time nobody jumps out of the pick-up, and we’re left with an icy stare.
___ Every once in awhile, we need to do something that might not pay off. Go by the ATM, and then buy something for someone who won’t expect it. Real giving is giving that may not pay off. We might get a big smile, but we might get a leer. We don’t need an excuse for indiscriminate sharing. Even if it doesn’t seem to pay off, giving reminds us that we’re all in the same boat (or truck).
___ We’re all as capable of driving off with money in our pocket while "Do you want another transaction?" blinks on the machine as we are of giving a gift to an 11-year-old that makes him smile and keeps him honest.
___ Brett Younger is pastor of Lake Shore Baptist Church in Waco.
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