Little things mean a lot! Haven’t we all heard that phrase! Well, in this kitchen adventure, it brings new meaning to the term “little things.” Integrity in the pantry might be a better title of the story, but for now, let me introduce my pantry associate and onsite observer.
This event took place on one “ordinary morning.” At least I thought it was ordinary until the doorbell rang, and to my surprise a young friend (she was about ten years of age at the time) appeared at our front door. She was there to visit. I love pop-in surprises because they always catch us in the act of being ourselves, and come alongside whatever task we may be involved in at the time. Surprises can also capture us without any makeup on; thus, exposing us to the trauma of transparency. And goodness knows, we need more transparency in our relationships. And this one will surprise the socks right off of you.
Some reading this might interpret the word “surprise at the front door” as an interruption. God calls it a “divine interruption;” and on this beautiful day, He was introducing me to a very sweet encounter.
Before this “doorbell” event, I was in the midst of organizing our kitchen pantry. Just allow your imagination to go wild for a moment. The counter tops were full of grocery items of every sort. In other words, my kitchen was an absolute mess.
You know in life, some of the most profound and wonderful lessons disembark to exhibit that we need to be caught in the act of everyday living whether our homes are tidy, or in a full-blown mess.
My little blonde-haired visitor could have cared less about whether I had makeup on, or the pictorial condition of my kitchen counters. She came over to visit me! And what a joy she was.
What I love about children is that if they come to see you in your home, they’re not coming for entertainment. They’re coming over to just “be with you.” After all, if my visitors are under three years of age, I just remove my Tupperware or pots and pans from a cupboard and they’re happy for hours.
It didn’t take rocket science to see that I was just cleaning the pantry and rearranging the goods back into a reasonable layout. We chatted for some time about this and that, and all was well.
Then she popped the question. She was thirsty and wondered if I had anything good to drink. Inefficient me, I only had milk in the fridge and that wasn’t on her top five drink options. I responded with a “just milk.” The odd thing about it was that she asked again, and I told her we didn’t have any good carbonated beverages like Pepsi or Coke.
My responses created a quietness about her and the atmosphere seemed cool for a few minutes; and I couldn’t understand why the change in the emotional room temperature.
My focus went back to the pantry and instantly I knew why she became so quiet. Just ahead of me on the shelf was can of 7up! She had seen this can and thought that would be an enjoyable treat. Her assumptions were that I had lied to her about now having anything tasty to drink.
And so that you don’t come away from this story thinking I’m a real jerk by keeping the soda to myself, let me explain. That can of 7up was an empty security can which you could place money or spare keys in. If anyone was around your home and looking for keys or money, they would never think of looking into a 7up can, now would they.
As soon as the penny dropped in my thinking, I showed her the can and opened it. When the explanation was given, her sweet eyes became like giant marbles in disbelief. We both laughed hysterically.
It was a teachable moment for both of us. For things we see don’t always appear as they really are. Yes, in life, many things are disguised to look appealing, yet in and of themselves they are empty.
This scenario, when explained, was important for her to know that I loved her and would have shared anything in my cupboard with her. But more importantly, my integrity was on the line, and the 7up can was the illustration soon to be exposed.
This little one is now a wonderful young mother with a family of her own and we’ve grown very close over the years. But we still look back at the day I was “honest” with her; and yes, honesty is the best policy. She may never have trusted me with her heart and her friendship if I hadn’t come clean about the “can in the pantry.”
More things in life are caught, rather than taught. Children learn from observing our lives. They’re not looking for perfection, just “honesty.”
Call me the next time you’re tidying up your pantry and I’ll bring the 7up.
Cups of Cold Water 
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