A Story For Perspective

A young family attended their local church one Sunday as they have done most Sundays, but this particular Sunday was different. An announcement was made that some members of the community were in desperate need of help as times in their small town had become excruciatingly difficult for many.

The pastor announced that a collection jar would be established specifically for these people and that the jar would be presented to the recipients at the end of the month. This would give the modest congregation of about 100 members ample time to rally aid for those who were struggling most.

After the service, the young family went home and discussed what they could do to help those who were less fortunate than them. Feeling so grateful for all they had, it was only natural that they help others in need.

So, the family decided to collect bottles and cans every day for a whole month and on the last Saturday of the month, they would take the money gained from their recycling efforts and donate it to the community aid jar.

The bottles and cans began piling up and soon there were trash bags full of glass and plastic, ready to be recycled. The Saturday before the last Sunday of the month, the young family made 4 trips to their local recycling center and their efforts resulted in $51.00. They took the money directly to their church and placed the donation in the jar.

The next day the young family attended their church as usual and the pastor announced that $117.75 had been collected for the community aid jar and that he would be personally delivering the donations to members of the community that evening.

After church, the young family returned home and were so grateful to know that their efforts alone resulted in almost half of what was collected in the community jar, but they felt even better about knowing that those funds would be going toward helping people who really needed a helping hand during trying times.

Later that evening a knock on their door surprised the family as they sat around their kitchen table to eat dinner. It was their pastor, holding the community aid jar.