Back Up Your Belief

When Project Lost Sheep was getting started, I had a chance to be the speaker at a senior citizens group. There were about 80 people present in a recreation hall.

After lunch there was a business meeting and I was last on the agenda. People looked sleepy and I was getting more nervous. Up to this point I had only talked to the small group that started with me
And some other known Christian. We had small checks and dollars in the bank. That was it.

So I spoke about the needs of children in the Bay Area. I told them we were a group who intended to make a difference for the children. Now many present were grandparents or beyond so I caught a few nods. And there were a few falling asleep in their chairs. I cut my talk short–always a good idea if you put them to sleep. After that, people thanked me for coming. I had printed information with our P.O. box on it, a box that had been mainly empty of correspondence.

Things changed after I spoke: there was a flurry of checks in the mail. Each letter was a shot of encouragement for us. In a few months, correspondence dwindled down to one from the talk, a woman called Dorothy. I looked forward to it like a thirsty person for a bottle of cold water.

I began to notice a pattern. The check arrived the first week of every month, it was a small check but it could have been a giant one for the encouragement it gave me.

One day I called and we met. Dorothy was pressing 80 hard. She lived in a very humble apartment in Menlo Park. Only a rich engineer would be able to pay the rent now. Anyway we had tea and chatted.

"I really appreciate your monthly support, I said.

"Thank you, dear," she said. "When I get my check every month, "I sit down and write out 20 checks to the groups I believe in."

I got a big lump in my throat as I left. I felt so honored that she believed in our work. I guessed that all her generosity came out of her small social security check.

Dorothy taught me a lesson – Back what you believe in and never be ashamed that your gift is small.

It is not the amount that matters. It is the message it contains.Her monthly gift said to me. "KEEP GOING. I BELIEVE IN YOUR WORK".