TO WHOM SHE GAVE

(Watchman-Crusader) A well-known preacher was making an appeal for funds before a large congregation, and invited them to bring their gifts and lay them on the altar. The aisle was filled with people who came, bringing their offerings. A little lame girl came slowly toward the front. She pulled a little ring from her finger and laid it among the other gifts on the altar. Adjusting her crutch she started back up the aisle. An usher was later sent to bring her into an ante-room after the service. The preacher met her there and said, "My dear, I saw what you did tonight. It was beautiful, but, you know, the response of the people tonight has been good, and we found that we have enough money to take care of all the things we want to do, and have some money left over, so we don’t need your ring, and I have brought it back to you." The little girl looked up with rebuke in her eyes and said, "I didn’t give that ring to you!" Once again from the lips of a child came a great spiritual truth that mocks our unbiblical, unbusiness-like methods of church finance. In our efforts to get bills paid, we forget that our gifts are offerings not to man but to God.