Would your friend give you $100?

E loves to strike up conversations wherever he happens to be. This happens really easily at the playground. He is five years old and freely talks with whoever will or will not listen. Both the boys were running around the playground when E overheard a mom speaking to her son. She said, "Kyle, go help your brother please." (I have changed the name to protect the innocent/guilty) Here is how the conversation continued:
E: I have a friend named Kyle too
Kyle's Mom: Oh, really?
E: Yes. He goes to my church and school.
KM: That is nice
E: He said he was going to give me One Hundred Dollars!
KM: Wow, that is a good friend.

Me (Dad): E, come here.
E: Yes?
Me: Did Kyle really say he was going to give you One Hundred Dollars?
E: Yes Dad (with emphasis) He did!
Me: Why did he say he was going to give you One Hundred Dollars (with skepticism)?
E: (With a huge smile) Kyle said that he would give me One Hundred Dollars if I would leave him and his friends alone.

At this point in the story, you are probably laughing realizing Kyle's real intentions in offering E one hundred dollars. I thought it was quite amusing too. I actually did not tell E what I thought Kyle's real intentions were. I felt it was better that he thought well of Kyle. It seems like as we get older, we immediately do the opposite of what E did. We lean towards thinking others have the worst of intentions. It seems like we would be better off thinking that people want to do us right. I am not saying bury our heads in the sand and be naive.
If we think the best of people - maybe it will help give them the confidence to be better.

1 Pet 4:8 -  "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." (NIV)