The aged woman lived...
Illustration
The aged woman lived alone in a second-floor apartment. I was a young pastor, bringing her the sacrament of Holy Communion, for the first time in my ministry. We had some minutes of quiet conversation, and then we celebrated the Holy Supper.
Just before I left, she pressed into my hand her church offering envelope. “I take out my church's money first when my check comes each month,” she confided.
Many years later, I still remember the concern I felt about her ability to “afford” the five dollars marked on the envelope. All around me I could see the unmistakable signs of poverty. Her income was limited to a meager social security check. Never having married, she had no children to watch over her.
Yet she gave the “first fruits” with gladness in her heart. Through the years I was to discover that this faithful woman would always “eat and have some left.”
The Heavenly Father was watching over her. And she knew it. In this knowledge she found her peace.
-- Mason
