Thou Shalt Not Touch My Fries!!!

There are some indignities that I will tolerate. You can call me ugly. You can step on my toes. You can even cheer for the dreaded Yankees (I’m a Red Sox fan)!
But whatever you do…Don’t steal my french fries!
My wife and I were grabbing some supper at a local pizza shop. The place was almost empty, with only one other group seated a few tables away, munching on their already delivered food; three adults and a couple of kids.
My wife had ordered some cheese bread sticks. How someone can survive on only cheese bread sticks I don’t know. I, on the other hand, had ordered a large chicken cutlet sub, french fries, and a root beer.
After a few minutes I saw the waitress approaching with a tray of food. Like Pavlov’s pup, my mouth starting salivating. French Fries!
I will admit to having a french fry addiction. When the government, with their “nanny-state” mentality, eventually outlaws my grease ladened spuds, I will go underground, buying plain-wrapped, oil stained packages from shady characters on street corners; midnight meetings to get my fix.
Until then, I will be happy to order them from fast food places and sub shops.
I watched with anticipation as the waitress drew closer. Much to my dismay, though, she walked by and placed the food in front of the much bewildered people at the other table. The man shrugged, picked up a fry, dipped it in ketchup and began to munch.
“Wait a minute,” my brain cried out. “Those are my french fries.” I glared at him, trying through the sheer sense of my will to get him to stop eating what was rightfully mine. His only response was to shove another fist full of fries in his mouth, all the while smirking at me.
“What’s the matter?” my wife asked.
I relayed my fear that the waitress had mis-delivered our food. Those fears were verified, by the way, when I overheard the cook chastising her for what she’d done. We waited patiently. Eventually newly cooked food was brought our way, along with an apology.
It begs the questions, though. When is stealing… stealing? If you get something totally by mistake and you know it, is that stealing?
All the people at the other table had to do was say, “Excuse me waitress-lady. This isn’t our food.” Case closed. Correction made. Instead they behaved like they’d won the lottery.
We’ve taken God’s command, “Thou Shalt Not Steal” and added a dozen or so “Unlesses”.
“Thou Shalt Not Steal, unless you think you deserve it.”
“Thou Shalt Not Steal, unless it’s from someone who deserves to be stolen from or from a nameless corporation that can simply submit their losses to an insurance company.”
“Thou Shalt Not Steal, unless it’s something you really, really want!”
I have a cousin who owns a vegetable farm. He tells the story of driving by one of his fields, which bordered the road. A man had pulled his car to the side and was grabbing fists full of corn, filling the car’s trunk. When my cousin confronted the man, who was with his small son, he explained, “We needed some corn for supper.” as if that’s an excuse. What a great lesson for the son.
When you get extra change at McDonalds and keep it, when you take 15 ears of corn at a farm stand and say it’s only a dozen, when you get someone else’s french fries and don’t correct the mistake, please remember, it’s stealing.
The world may proclaim it’s okay, but God holds Christians up to a higher standard.