That Sunday morning we were in Troy, Illinois, I was given the opportunity to preach during the regular services (all THREE of them!) at Troy UMC.
My text was Jesus' parable from Matthew 21 about the two sons who are told by their father to "Go today and work in the vineyard". The first son responds, "I don't want to" but later "changes his mind" and goes to work. The second son responds, "I will, sir" but never does get around to it. Jesus was obviously pointing this simple parable straight at the religious folks of his day, and he finished by warning them that the "tax collectors and prostitutes" were entering the Kingdom before them.
In the course of my sermon, I was using a story about Dats (age 10) that I have probably shared here before and that Melissa and I have been sharing typically as a part of our fundraising efforts:
(If you already know the story, feel free to skip down to the picture to hear The Rest of the Story.)
When Melissa was preparing for her first weeklong mission trip to Haiti in June of 2010, she was sharing with the rest of the family all that she was learning of the hardships of life in Haiti. One night, completely unprompted by anyone (except the Holy Spirit!), Dats (then just newly 9) came to Melissa and offered her the $40 he had been saving up (probably to buy Legos). He wanted her to give $20 to two different people.
Melissa had no problem finding two people to help once she arrived in Haiti! (I like to point out that $20 is paradoxical in Haiti - on the one hand it is nothing - a drop in the ocean, but it can also be life changing or even life saving. And it will certainly be accepted gratefully.) Melissa gave $20 to a woman who had been injured in the earthquake and the other $20 to a young man named Enil who had recently lost his job and had his cell phone stolen.
Fast forward one year. Our entire family spent two weeks of July 2011 in Haiti as we sought to confirm God's call. Near the end of that time, our hostess missionary, Jane, offered to take us in the mission van down the road a bit to a pottery business to do some sightseeing. We had trouble getting off the mission compound though, since Jane seemed to be in high demand with various workers and friends. After twenty minutes of halting non-progress, we were just about to finally get out the gates when Jane spotted someone on the doorstep of her house. She asked if we would mind one more stop - a quick one - while she attended to this man's need.
When she returned to the van a few moments later, she brought the man with her and explained that he needed a ride into town. So I moved to the back seat and let this stranger sit down next to Dats in the van.
As we got bumping down the road, Melissa started to put two and two together and realized that this was Enil. She reminded Jane and Jane reminded Enil and Enil beamed in gratitude at Dats beside him. Sitting behind these two, I was struck by the "coincidence" that brought Dats and Enil together and the lesson about faithfulness that God was obviously trying to teach me. It seemed to me that the Lord was putting His stamp of approval on Dats' willingness to sacrifice his own self interests a year earlier in order to do God's work. The stranger who received Dats' gift was no longer a stranger!
Enil and I both wanted to make sure we got a picture of these two brothers in Christ together:
So I was sharing this story with the fine folks at Troy UM Church a few weeks ago and something happened after the final service. Melissa and the kids came from the hotel in time to be a part of that 10:30 worship, so they stood with me in the foyer at 11:30 as the the congregants filed out.
At least three separate sweet church ladies looked over our kids and then asked, "Which one is Dats?" as they exited the sanctuary. And then each proceeded to press money into his palm. But each one also told him that he needed to find someone in Haiti to pass the money along to!
So God has multiplied Dats' original gift!
It didn't take long to find someone to pass the money to. A couple of days later we were back home in Indiana and I shared with Melissa and the kids a blog entry by Stacey Ayars regarding a woman named Roselore who cleans houses on the campus of the Emmaus Biblical Seminary. Stacey had written it the day before I preached. You should take a few minutes and read Stacey's post through this link, because I can't do it justice here. It is a heartbreaking account of a desperate mother and the twins she can't afford to feed.
Dats agreed that we should send $80 down to Stacey to pass along to Roselore. Our friend Beka was leaving for Haiti and would be seeing Stacey in a few days, so we gave the cash to Beka knowing what the ladies of Troy UMC had given would quickly be put to use to fill a very real need.
"Remember this:
Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously
will also reap generously. Each man should
give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under
compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able
to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all
that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is
written:
“He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.”
Now he who
supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your
store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be
made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and
through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
This service
that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also
overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the
service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the
obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your
generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their
prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace
God has given you. Thanks be to
God for his indescribable gift!"
2 Corinthians 9:6-15 (NIV)
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