Sam's Three Dollars

After our service at Treasure Coast Assembly of God, a little boy named Sam handed me three dollars. He looked at me with big blues eyes welling up with tears and said, “It’s not much but its all I have…” The Holy Spirit had clearly spoken to his heart as we shared about our work with the children of Dominican Republic in his children’s church. No one passed an offering plate and nobody told him to go give the missionaries his money but his heart was touched and he had to do something to help a place with so much need.

When Sam pulled those three dollars out of his pocket, it was like I was standing with the little boy with five loaves and two fish. (You know the story found in John chapter 9) The Bible doesn’t say how old he was but I can just imagine him like a ten year old boy. He could have thought that his lunch was nothing compared to so much need, so much hunger. Yet he decided that he could give it to Jesus. I wonder why. Could he see the possibility of the miracle? Or was he simply obedient when given the opportunity to participate in meeting a need? Who knows but I like to think that maybe it was the latter. He simply obeyed. When Andrew found him, he was willing to do his part.

I love this story. I love the miracle. I love that I serve a God with the power of multiplication. That is why my meager gift is meaningful. He didn’t need the lunch to do the miracle yet he gave that little boy an opportunity to participate. And that opportunity had nothing to do with his credentials, he was just a little boy, or the quantity of his offering, obviously he barely had anything to offer. It was all about participation.

Over this past year we have received a lot of offerings. Every offering is a blessing and gift from God. But this one was extra special. Maybe because it the gift was from a ten year old, but mostly because it was all he had. Sam could thought “why give such small gift when there is so much need?” He could have thought that his three dollars would be better spent on something for himself, yet instead he decided to participate. I believe that Sam is doing his part in a miracle of multiplication.

At the end of children’s church, we gave all the kids a peso coin and a prayer card. We asked the children to pray for us. Sam told me that he would make sure and pray for us. I got a letter from Sam just this past week. Let me share a portion…

Dear Mr. and Mrs. deFreitas,

When you came to Treasure Coast Assembly, it was great. I learned

a lot about your missionary service. I liked it very much. You were very

kind to me, too.

Your sermon was very nice and I liked the message that you gave to us.

I liked your talk so much that I decided to change the subject of my research

paper to the Dominican Republic. I thought it would be good to know

more about your area of the world.

It is really important that you keep on preaching and helping others turn to Christ.

I am taping the peso that you gave me in the notebook. I would tape your prayer card in also but my Mom washed it in my pants pocket. We're hoping that Miss Peggy can find someone who isn't using theirs every day so we can copy it at Staples.

Your friend from Treasure Coast Assembly,

Sam