Tuesday, February 05, 2008

The parable of the silver coins

On the way to work yesterday, I walked by the house of a neighbor. She's an elderly widow, and on a fairly regular basis when I walk by she calls me over to do a small job for her or to talk about some aspect of her house or yard. Normally I'm happy to help, but not yesterday--I am still feeling sick, and having spent the whole weekend working on the flooded basement, I was feeling very weary.

She was sweeping her front path, looking down when I approached her house. I literally was trying to walk down the street quietly so that she wouldn't hear me so that I could just get to the office, shut the door, and get some work done. Well... I wasn't good enough (or maybe she's too good), because just when I thought I was in the clear, she called my name. I went back, smiled (but was groaning inside), and asked how she was.

Turns out she's been collecting silver coins from a local grocery store, and she wanted to give them to me. (They're used for discounts on bulk items--things she doesn't need). So she handed me a dozen silver coins and sent me on my way. I love these silver coins--use them whenever I get them.

I'm sure there's a larger moral lesson here. Right now I'm feeling thankful for the coins and embarrassed that I was trying to sneak by a widow in need.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Isnt guilt wonderfully horrible. You did the right thing though, by heeding to her call as you would have done had you been feeling better. Romans 15:2 "Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up." She actually turned that around (unknowingly possibly) and built YOU up, how awesome is that. . .