My wife says I’m cheap. I don’t like that word. I’m frugal, conservative, economical. I’m not cheap.
Several years ago I took the family on an all-inclusive trip to Mackinac Island, the resort in Lake Huron between the mainland of Michigan and its Upper Peninsula. All-inclusive means you pay one price and it includes everything: hotel, entertainment and meals (including tips). That’s my kind of trip.
But after eating at one of the restaurants I was made aware that, while the meal and tip were included, I was still expected to leave a gratuity. WHAT?! I thought a tip was a gratuity. After some grumbling, I gave in. On the way home I looked at my wife and said, “Well, it’s only money.” She stopped dead in her tracks, grabbed me and said, “Who are you and what did you do with my husband?”
We laughed, but I wondered, “Is that how I am perceived?” I didn’t want to be thought of as cheap, so I began asking God to help me be more generous in my giving. Funny how God answers our prayers. He will usually put examples in our lives to remind us of our prayerful desires.
Soon after that trip, I ate at a Cracker Barrel with a couple of guys from church. Perhaps you’ve noticed that the servers at Cracker Barrel wear brown aprons with gold stars on them. Those stars are earned by “experience and excellence.” The young lady serving us that night had no stars on her apron. None. Nada. Zero.