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The Offering.Here is a true story about a nine year old boy who lived in a rural town in Tennessee. His house was in a poor area of the community. A church there had a bus ministry that came knocking on his door one Saturday afternoon. The boy came to answer the door and greeted the bus pastor.
The bus pastor asked if his parents were home and the small boy told him
that his parents take off every weekend and leave him at home to take
care of his little brother. The bus pastor couldn't believe what the boy
said and asked him to repeat it. The youngster gave the same answer and
the bus pastor asked to come in and talk with him. They went into the
living room and sat down on an old couch with the foam and springs
exposed. The bus pastor asked the boy, "Where do you go to church?"
The young boy surprised the visitor by replying, "I've never been to
church in my whole life." The bus pastor thought to himself about the
fact that his church was less than three miles from the child's house.
"Are you sure you have never been to church?" he asked again.
"I'm sure I haven't," came his answer.
Then the bus pastor said, "Well, son, more important than going to
church, have you ever heard the greatest love story ever told?" and then
he proceeded to share the Gospel with this little nine year old boy. The
young lad's heart began to be tenderized and at the end of the bus
pastor's story, the bus pastor asked if the boy wanted to receive this
free gift from God.
The youngster exclaimed, "OF COURSE!"
The kid and the bus pastor got on their knees and the lad invited Jesus
into his little heart and received the free gift of salvation. They both
stood up and the bus pastor asked if he could pick the kid up for church
the next morning.
"Sure," the nine year old replied.
The bus pastor got to the house early the next morning and found the
lights off. He let himself in and snaked his way through the house and
found the little boy asleep in his bed. He woke up the little boy and his
brother and helped get them dressed. They got on the bus and ate a
doughnut for breakfast on their way to church. Keep in mind that this boy
had never been to church before. The church was a real big one. The
little boy just sat there, clueless of what was going on.
A few minutes into the service, these tall unhappy guys walked down to
the front and picked up some wooden plates. One of the men prayed and the boy, with utter fascination, watched them walk up and down the aisles.
He still didn't know what was going on. All of a sudden, like a bolt of
lightning, it hit the boy what was taking place. These people must be
giving money to Jesus. He then reflected on the free gift of life he had
received just twenty-four hours earlier. He immediately searched his
pockets, front and back, and couldn't find a thing to give Jesus.
By this time the offering plate was being passed down his aisle and, with
a broken heart, he just grabbed the plate and held on to it. He finally
let go and watched it pass on down the aisle. He turned around to see it
passed down the aisle behind him. And then his eyes remained glued on
the plate as it was passed back and forth, back and forth all the way to
the rear of the sanctuary.
Then he had an idea. This little nine year old boy, in front of God and
everybody, got up out of his seat. He walked about eight rows back,
grabbed the usher by the coat and asked to hold the plate one more time.
Then he did the most astounding thing I have ever heard of. He took the
plate, sat it on the carpeted church floor and stepped into the center of
it. As he stood there, he lifted his little head up and said, "Jesus, I
don't have anything to give you today, but just me. I give you me!"