remembrance

This is one of my favorite lessons from Togo, West Africa.

There was a young African man named John. He was a young christian from a nearby village who would come weekly to sit for hours on the missionary's front porch and talk about the Bible and its teachings. John was the owner of only one shirt which he wore with great pride. It was a brilliant yellow, tattered, polyester, maternity top. Every time the young missionary saw John in that shirt, he would try to think of a way to convince John to somehow replace it.

Finally, he came upon the perfect plan. He taught a series of lessons about giving, especially to help those less fortunate than oneself. He stressed how our giving is from the heart and certainly does not necessarily mean that we give money. And, when he felt the subject was exhausted, he declared a "giving Sunday."

Giving Sunday seemed to go well. In the collection basket were some dried beans, a pineapple, a sack containing sugar, a slightly cracked bowl, and a live chicken as well as a size large tee shirt. On Tuesday, John showed up for his usual visit, still wearing the holey maternity top.

When asked, "Did you not see the new shirt?" John's reply was quick and sincere, "Yes, and I made certain that it went to the poor."