Page 8 - Good News February 2015 paper
P. 8
Continued from p. 1 and she only sang one verse. At church we
Continued from p. 1
we sang all the way. At lunch Mom had a had a visiting missionary. He talked about
surprise for us. She had bought a dozen how churches in Africa made buildings out
eggs, and we had boiled Easter eggs with of sun-dried bricks, but they needed
our fried potatoes! Late that afternoon the money to buy roofs. He said that $100
minister drove up in his car. Mom went to would put a roof on a church. The minister
the door, talked with him for a moment, said, “Can’t we all sacrifice to help these
and then came back with an envelope in poor people?” We looked at each other and
her hand. We asked what it was, but she smiled for the first time in a week.
didn’t say a word. She opened the
envelope and out fell a bunch of money. Mom reached into her purse and pulled out
There were three crisp $20 bills, one $10 the envelope. She passed it to Darlene.
bill and seventeen $1 bills. Darlene gave it to me, and I handed it to
Ocy. Ocy put it in the offering basket.
Mom put the money back in the envelope.
We didn’t talk, just sat and stared at the When the offering was counted, the
floor. We had gone from feeling like minister announced that it was a little over
millionaires to feeling like poor white $100. The missionary was excited. He
trash. We kids had such a happy life that hadn’t expected such a large offering from
we felt sorry for anyone who didn’t have our small church. He said, “You must have
our Mom and Dad for parents and a house some rich people in this church.”
full of brothers and sisters and other kids
visiting constantly. We thought it was fun Suddenly it struck us! We had given $87 of
to share silverware and see whether we that “little over $100.”
got the spoon or the fork that night. We
had two knives that we passed around to We were the rich family in the church!
whoever needed them. Hadn’t the missionary said so? From that
day on I’ve never been poor again. I’ve
I knew we didn’t have a lot of things that always remembered how rich I am because
other people had, but I’d never thought we I have Jesus!
were poor. That Easter day I found out we
were. The minister had brought us the “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly
money for the “poor family”, so we must will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows
be poor. I didn’t like being poor. I looked at generously will also reap generously. Each
my dress and worn-out shoes and felt so of you should give what you have decided
ashamed - I didn’t even want to go back to in your heart to give, not reluctantly or
church. Everyone there probably already under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful
knew we were poor! giver.
And God is able to bless you abundantly,
I thought about school. I was in the ninth so that in all things at all times, having all
grade and at the top of my class of over 100 that you need, you will abound in every
students. I wondered if the kids at school good work.
knew that we were poor. I decided that I As it is written: They have freely scattered
could quit school since I had finished the their gifts to the poor; their righteousness
eighth grade. That was all the law required endures forever.
at that time. We sat in silence for a long Now He who supplies seed to the sower
time. Then it got dark, and we went to bed. and bread for food will also supply and
All that week, we went to school and came increase your store of seed and will enlarge
home, and no one talked much. Finally on the harvest of your righteousness.
Saturday, Mom asked us what we wanted You will be enriched in every way so that
to do with the money. What did poor you can be generous on every occasion,
people do with money? We didn’t know. and through us your generosity will result
We’d never known we were poor. We didn’t in thanksgiving to God.
want to go to church on Sunday, but Mom This service that you perform is not only
said we had to. Although it was a sunny supplying the needs of the Lord’s people
day, we didn’t talk on the way. but is also overflowing in many expres-
sions of thanks to God (2 Cor. 9:6-12 NIV).
Mom started to sing, but no one joined in - Eddie Ogan
