Sermons aren’t the only way to learn something in church. Sometimes the Lord designs unexpected, and unforgettable, object lessons.
That’s what happened on a recent Family Sunday, a monthly service that includes kids.
During announcements, we have an “award ceremony,” where children’s accomplishments, great and small, are honored. We have honored a boy who rescued a drowning child from a pool; a 12-year-old whose team won the state girls’ softball championship; three little girls for being helpful big sisters to their new baby brother; and many others for good attitudes and kind behavior. The children are given a big hand, an award certificate, a badge of honor, and a present, usually a new toy.
One month, I conferred with our children’s minister, and we chose Frances to receive a “Sweet Heart Award.” Frances is a 10-year-old cherub who makes homemade cards for folks. Her ready smile gives no hint of how tough her young life has been.
Since Frances lives with her unemployed grandparents and was unable to buy new school clothes, I wanted to give Frances a new dress. I hesitated; a dress would cost more than the usual gift and might provoke jealousy in others. Still, I was certain the gift for Frances should be a new dress.
On Saturday, my teenage shopping expert, Amanda, and I went shopping for Frances. We instantly spotted the dress: blue sunflowers on a pale blue background—pretty, and just Frances’s style. The dress was perfect. The price tag wasn’t.
Reluctantly, we perused the sales rack but kept returning wistfully to the blue dress. Finally relenting, we bought not only the blue dress, but also a blue sunflower hair clip to match.
My pastor-husband, Jay, saw the dress and foretold impending doom: jealousy, envy, and charges of favoritism.
Inwardly quaking, I put on a brave face and said, “Jesus is happy about this dress, and so am I. If someone gets mad at me, I’m still going to be happy for Frances.”
Jay gloomily said he’d pray for me. I almost backed out, but it was too late to shop for anything else.
Sunday morning, I faked complete confidence while presenting Frances with her award and a speech about the kind things she says and does. When I handed her the gift box, she pulled the dress out by the hanger for everyone to see. “Ooohs” and “aaahs” filled the room. Then everyone started laughing and clapping because Frances’s face shone with an expression of amazed delight. She found her grandma’s tear-filled eyes. Frances skipped back to her grandma, dress in hand, saying, “God is so good to me.”
After church, Frances and her grandma couldn’t wait to tell me they also had gone shopping on Saturday morning, for a new dress to wear to a family wedding. Just an hour before Amanda and I went shopping, Frances had spied the dress she wanted. She tried it on and loved it, but the price was too high. Frances valiantly returned the dress she really wanted and headed for the sale items. She forgot about the pretty blue sunflower dress.
But Jesus remembered.
Afterward, Jay said that if the only good thing we ever did in our church was to buy that dress for Frances, it would be enough.
He also said he would trust my shopping decisions from now on. The steps of the righteous are ordered of the Lord, even while in shopping malls.
Linda Riley is director of Called Together Ministries in Torrance, California. In this column, she reflects on the variety of people we meet in ministry.
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