57 cents... Beautiful recycle, Doug! Thanks!

A little girl stood near a small



church from which she had been turned away because it was



"too crowded."

















"I



can't go to Sunday School," she sobbed to the pastor as he



walked by.







Seeing her shabby,



unkempt appearance, the pastor guessed the reason and,



taking her by the hand, took her inside and found a place



for her in the Sunday school class. The child was so happy



that they found room for her, and she went to bed that



night thinking of the children who have no place to



worship Jesus.







Some two years



later, this child lay dead in one of the poor tenement



buildings. Her parents called for the kindhearted pastor



who had befriended their daughter to handle the final



arrangements.







As



her poor little body was being moved, a worn and crumpled



red purse was found which seemed to have been rummaged



from some trash dump.







Inside was found



57 cents and a note, scribbled in childish handwriting,



which read: "This is to help build the little church



bigger so more children can go to Sunday



School."







For two years she



had saved for this offering of love.







When the pastor



tearfully read that note, he knew instantly what he would



do. Carrying this note and the cracked, red pocketbook to



the pulpit, he told the story of her unselfish love and



devotion.







He



challenged his deacons to get busy and raise enough money



for the larger building.







But the story does



not end there...







A newspaper



learned of the story and published It. It was read by a



wealthy realtor who offered them a parcel of land worth



many thousands.







When told that the



church could not pay so much, he offered to sell it to the



little church for 57 cents.







Church members



made large donations. Checks came from far and wide.





Within five years the little girl's gift had increased



to $250,000.00--a huge sum for that time (near the turn of



the century). Her unselfish love had paid large



dividends.







When you are in



the city of Philadelphia



, look upTemple



Baptist Church , with a seating capacity of



3,300. And be sure to visit Temple University , where



thousands of students are educated.







Have a look, too,



at the GoodSamaritan



Hospitaland at a Sunday School building



which houses hundreds of beautiful children, built so that



no child in the area will ever need to be left outside



during Sunday school time.







In one of the



rooms of this building may be seen the picture of the



sweet face of the little girl whose 57 cents, so



sacrificially saved, made such remarkable history.



Alongside of it is a portrait of her kind pastor, Dr.



Russell H. Conwell, author of the book, "Acres of



Diamonds".







This is a true



story, which goes to show WHAT GOD CAN DO WITH 57



CENTS.



St. Theresa



Prayer

May you not forget the infinite



possibilities that are born of faith.

May you use those gifts that



you have received, and pass on the love that has been



given to you.

May you be content knowing you are a



child of God.

Let this presence settle into our bones,



and allow your soul the freedom to sing and dance. It is



there for each and every one of you.