There was once a woman who worked for a large company. One day her employer had a meeting with his entire work force. He requested them to sign up to contribute to a charitable organization -- a number of large charities rolled into one. He said that each person could declare the contribution on his income taxes, so it wouldn't cost anything. Furthermore, he said, the company would give a bonus to the person who pledged the most and they'd get their picture in the newsletter for all to see. He added that all the businesses in town were in competition to see who would contribute the most.
The woman thought about this. Several days before, she had been reading her Bible and had come across a passage that suddenly took on new meaning. She looked it up again.
That's the way to do it, she thought to herself, and that's the way I WILL do it. Suddenly she was filled with joy.
First of all, she took five dollars out of her wallet and gave it to the company treasurer as her contribution to the big charity. Then she took the hundred dollars, that she had been saving for a new VCR, and went to the grocery store. She bought all kinds of non-perishable foods and cleaning products -- cans of soup, cereal, canned vegetables, powdered milk, pancake mix, soap powder, dish washing liquid, bars of soap, and an enormous bag of caramel popcorn. Then she went home and put everything into three large boxes.
The next morning at 4 a.m., she put the boxes in her car and drove to the local food bank. She unloaded her groceries and placed the boxes by the front door, dropping a hand-written note into one of the boxes. It read: "For the poor, in the name of Jesus." Then she quickly got back into her car.
As the woman drove down the darkened street, she felt wonderful. She had given entirely out of love with no hope of an earthly reward. There would be no "thank you's" -- no picture in the company newsletter. No one would ever know who the benefactor had been. It felt really good.
She could imagine the food bank officers scratching their heads, wondering who had made the contribution. She could imagine the joy of a poverty-stricken mother receiving much needed food for her hungry children. And then she chuckled as she imagined the delight on some child's face when confronted by that enormous bag of caramel popcorn.
No one had seen this generous woman lay her parcels down before the door of the food bank. But her Father in heaven, who saw in secret, knew exactly what she had done and, even now, was preparing a reward for her beyond her wildest dreams.
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Copyright 2001 by Ed Price