Money No Enough!

I was thrilled to receive one of my toastmasters, Elissa Chan's response to my article, "Little things that make me smile." Below is her feedback:-

"Hi Choo Choo,

We are already "millionaires" in our own way with the blessings that we have received. We are healthy (not blind, handicapped, nor mute). We are employed with friends, family, new acquaintances around us who make our day passable and enjoyable. We have time on or hands to enjoy the little things that we want. In other words, count your blessings.

Gerald Ee (the one who was asked to solve the NKF issue) narrates a story when he was a boy. He says that when he was young, he used to attend church. When the hat was passed around, he noticed the less wealthy are very generous but not the rich ones. He came up with his reasoning : the rich ones have big mortgages to pay as they stay in big houses. Hence that is why they have no money to give. I always say your life is what you make of it. You want to be happy, you can be happy. You want to be sad, people will leave you alone.

Cheers,

Elissa

The above reminds me of a sharing by a pastor when I was visiting Melbourne. He shared that in his church, there was this particular elderly gentleman from Hong Kong. He is a retired businessman who is quite wealthy. Due to his absentmindedness, his children would not allow him to carry credit cards and too much cash.

Every Sunday, he would go to church, with $50 in one pocket and another $5 in another pocket.

$5 is for the offering bag, while the $50 is for his dim sum breakfast.

One day, he forgot to get his money ready, and when the offering bag came round, he dipped into one of his pockets and put the money into the bag.

After the service ended, he was dismayed when he found out that he had given the wrong note....for in his pocket was left the $5 which would definitely be insufficient for his dim sum breakfast.

Hence he went to the cashier, and told the cashier about his error.

The cashier replied, "It is difficult to ascertain who had given what they had given in cash. Hence it would be difficult for me to make the exchange. I will bring up the matter during our meeting.

Just as he was walking forlornly away, the cashier called him.

"Ah, maybe he has changed his mind and is going to give me the $50 back," he thought to himself, giving the cashier his widest smile.

"Sir, am afraid that although you have given $50, but in the Heavenly Book of Accounts, perhaps it will be recorded only as $5, because you have it in your heart to give only this amount."

I remember in one of his sermons, Pastor Derek had reminded us to give God our best and not to give Him our remnants or tips. So often, we say that maybe after college or university, we will be more active in service or maybe another will say, he will start to serve after he has married and yet another will say, he will serve after his children have completed their tertiary education. Before we realise it, age has caught up, and by the time we retire from work, we are almost too exhausted physically and mentally.

Let us start to give the cream of our crop to the One who deserves it. When we do that, we find that there will be more than enough at the end. Strangely we become rejuvenated with energy, and replenished with supplies! Then we will declare, "Money is more than enough."

Contentment.....blessed contentment.

Gan Chau