In an age of too much cynicism and transactional giving quid pro quo, that is “I will give if I get,” true faithfulness shines through.
We got a call in the church office Monday morning from a man who had fallen outside our church and could not get up. It was 87-year-old new member Bill Ard. Bill had come by to “adopt” a family through Plano Santas. His foot caught the curb and down he went. He was in a lot of pain.
After an ambulance ride to Allen Presbyterian Hospital, X-rays revealed Bill had cracked three ribs. As his daughter Amy and I waited for the ER doctor to return with the prognosis, Bill – lying on the bed – asked Amy for this checkbook. With pain in every breath, he asked me how many families there were remaining who needed help to provide Christmas for their kids.
“Six,” I answered.
“How much for one family?” he asked. I told him.
As he wrote out a check from his prone position in the hospital bed, Bill gruelingly said, “And times six … that should do it.”
I received his check, astonished. Ruth Roberson, who is coordinating this ministry, teared up when I told her the story. Had Jesus been bedside, he would have said as he did of the Roman centurion, “Rarely in all of Israel have I seen such faith” (Matthew 8:10).
True and deep-hearted faithfulness shines through. Thank you, Bill, for the reminder.
Connecting God and Grace to Self and Community,
