I spent the first ten years of my life in a very close-knit community with lots of Navy folks. Tim, my best friend, and schoolmate lived right next door. Both our dads were gardeners and they had a friendly competition growing flowers and vegetables in their gardens. I seem to remember that one of them cheated by putting fake flowers in the yard, mostly for fun, and trying to fool the other person. All the parents and even adults with no kids looked after the kids in the neighborhood. You could trust everyone no matter what, the real estate agent that lived behind us, the car mechanic who lived down the street, the Highs Ice Cream store at the end of the street, Mattie's drug and five and dime store at the other end of the street (I bought kites there). You might be able to trust the golfers who played the course in front of our house. Well, I know how it is with golf scores. There was one person we could not always trust. He owned a mom-and-pop grocery store with a bakery. He sold fresh stuff and his bakery was small but the baked goods were very good.

Have you heard the term Baker's Dozen? Here is the google definition:

In 13th century England, a law was enacted that prevented bakers from cheating customers and selling light loaves of bread. To prevent themselves from getting in trouble with the law, bakers would give an extra loaf for every dozen purchased to make up for any potential shortfall.

Our neighborhood baker took the opposite approach. He would ask unsuspecting shoppers if they would like to try one of his just-baked doughnuts. They looked really good so everyone said yes most of the time. You would eat it, love it, and happily buy a dozen.

You would take them home to share with the family only to discover that there were eleven of them in the box. The same thing could happen if he gave samples of other things as well, cookies, muffins, or even a dozen bananas. You would be "short" when you got home. Was this stealing? My dad was not pleased to be the recipient of this treatment. One day he went to the store and was asked if he wanted to try a freshly baked doughnut. Dad said sure, ate it there and the shopkeeper started talking about how good and fresh they are and no one can resist them while he was boxing up a "dozen". He said that will be 2 dollars (I guess) Dad told him no thanks and left. He looked back in through the window as he started to walk home. It was very obvious the owner was not pleased with my dad.

He never offered my dad a sample again, but Dad, when he bought doughnuts, always came home with a full dozen.

The Baker fooled many people, he was a bit wicked. My Mom and Dad drove home the ten commandments to me, all of them. Dad told me to never treat people like that baker, to always be honest, to provide the best for folks, to do the work right, and never lie or deceive others. I wish I could say I always did just that but it would not be the truth. I had to have some encouragement applied to me on occasion to stay on the path of truth and not the path of the foolish. I am very grateful that their encouragement worked.

Proverbs 11

New International Version

11 The Lord detests dishonest scales,

but accurate weights find favor with him.

2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace,

but with humility comes wisdom.

3 The integrity of the upright guides them,

but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

4 Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath,

but righteousness delivers from death.

5 The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight,

but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.

6 The righteousness of the upright delivers them,

but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.

7 Hopes placed in mortals die with them;

all the promise of their power comes to nothing.

8 The righteous person is rescued from trouble,

and it falls on the wicked instead.

9 With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors,

but through knowledge the righteous escape.

10 When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices;

when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.

11 Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,

but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.