In the days when is reported that churches were not defined
by huge edifices, and its leaders worked with their own hands and therefore
offerings were only taken for the poor and the needy, a man and his
six-year-old son sat among the fellowship of the brethren.
They had warmed the same spot on countless occasion. And the young boy had observed that, each time the pastor called for alms and the bowl passed- the Dad will touch his pocket as if to confirm its content and then close his eyes with his fingers locked in a prayer posture– “He escaped the bowl,” the son always thought, and considered his Dad’s action to be clever and fun.
But today, when the call was made, the man handed a 10 Pesewa note to his son with simple instruction:
“deposit in the bowl when the ushers wait on you.”
Today must be a special day, the son thought, whilst The 10
Pesewa laid in his hand. Even though the son wore a broad smile, one could tell
that his emotions swung between joy and sadness.
The song hummed, and it was when the ushers were close to
where they sat that the son disappeared- he got up, slipped away before the Dad
noticed, and sat on the last row. Whilst he moved, he will watch some poorer brethren
take whatever their Pesewa note was, smile broadly, and deposit in the
bowl.
When the ushers inched close to where he moved to, the thought of going to empty his hand into the bowl delighted him as it gave him the feeling of a grownup whilst the
thought of losing what he could keep depressed me. So he rose again
to the last column on his right, he watched the 10 Pesewa, and only shook his
head.
At last the ushers got to where he sat and the young boy
looking at the 10 Pesewa got up, moved back to where his Dad sat and whispered,“I underestimated the burden required of a
higher living.’ But it was when he saw some faces that were going to be beneficiary of the offering that his heart broke and began
sobbing, uncontrollably. “How can they sit in church yet refuse to help these poor persons carry their burdens?" His young mind now found this a tragedy of religion.
Apparently the movement of the boy and now the sobbing had caused
a stir in the church as the attention of the whole congregation was arrested
with interest in the episode.
As is often the saying in church that, "no one knows the medium that
God can use to deliver his message – being it a stone, a donkey, or this small
boy," so the officiating minster invited forward the Dad and his son.
“Son, why criest thou?” the minister asked. But the son stood quietly and pointed to the dad. “Son what have I done?” the Dad who was getting embarrassed asked.
The six-year-old-boy who spoke too clever than his age
continued,
"My Dad and I, are holding unto what we can easily giveaway."
When all eyes were closed as in Thanks giving prayer, the Dad emptied his pocket and the son gave away the 10 Pesewa.
