Pennies from Heaven
 |
By
Gene and Jeannie LaMay
We
participated in a church missions banquet in the United States one
Sunday
evening a few weeks ago. I had no idea we would encounter “John.”
I
was
setting up our display of photos, brochures and DVDs when I first
noticed John.
I could tell right away he was a special needs person. He appeared to be
in his
late 20s, was nicely dressed, but walked with a shuffle and did not
speak to
anyone. He couldn’t. His special needs left him non-verbal.
I
watched John move from table to table in the banquet area, wanting to
help set
up the tables, wanting to help decorate them. But he couldn’t. He was
not able.
After the meal, after the singing and the prayers, after the missionary
stories
and the Faith Promise appeal, I hurried back to our display to greet
people and
to offer our material for their missionary trips.
I
was
deep in conversation with a children’s pastor and his wife about a trip
they
planned to take overseas, when John shuffled up to our display table.
His right
hand formed a tight fist. He moved closer and extended his fist, red
from the
exertion of keeping it so tightly closed. Then, with a happy grunt, he
opened
his palm. There lay four warm, moist pennies … his offering to missions.
Proudly, John gave those four pennies.
Humbly,
I
received them. For I am the one with special needs — the need for more
love,
more compassion, more generosity, more caring from every person I
encounter.
Thank
you,
John. On behalf of every child we touch through our program, on behalf
of
every youth and every adult who watches our videos and comes to know the
Special One we all need, we thank you.
For
more information on Kingdom Kids Media Outreach go to http://kingskidsvids.com/index.html
Gene and Jeannie LaMay are AGWM missionaries to Latin America and the Caribbean.
Copyright ©2012 The General Council of the Assemblies of God.
