Fearless Giving

Last Sunday I preached a sermon on fearless giving from 1Kings 17. One of the members of the congregation sent me the following sermon, which illustrates the point so well. Thanks, Don.

I was working the FDA in Dallas sometime in the late 1970s. I’d been sent to Hidalgo a little border crossing near Harlingen Texas. I was sampling strawberries during the day then bundling them up and putting them on a plane at the Harlingen airport. One night I got to the airport and I noticed two Mexican nationals at the Southwest ticket counter. The older Mexican was in a wheel chair. They were having a problem. I asked the counter clerk what the problem was. Turns out they had flown for Mexico City to Harlingen but didn’t have a ticket to finish their trip to Houston. They had money but it was pesos and no one would take their pesos. I was done working so I thought I’d try and help them. The guy in the wheel chair had polio. I had a mild case of polio when I was in 5th grade so I had real empathy for this guy. Neither Mexican spoke English and I didn’t speak Mexican. I had the counter clerk tell the younger Mexican that I would take him around and try and find someone that would exchange his pesos for US currency. I started right at the airport with Mexicana Airlines, the Mexican National Airline. They WOULDN’T take the pesos!! I was incredulous. At that time the peso was fluctuating a lot no one wanted those pesos. I took the guy into Harlingen to every business that I could find open. No one would take those pesos. At this point you are maybe thinking I was being some kind of saint – I wasn’t. All along I had the cash in my pocket. At that time the government gave us a cash advance for our room and board. I had the whole thing right there in my pocket. Finally I couldn’t stand it. I took the younger Mexican back to Mexicana Airlines. I told the lady behind the counter that I would make the exchange. I asked her to calculate the exchange rate based on today’s exchange rate pesos for dollars. I can clearly remember after I exchanged my dollars for his pesos that I had $8.00 American left. I gave them to the two Mexicans so they could get something to eat. Now I had a pocket full of pesos and I owed the motel. We didn’t have a credit card and I didn’t have a check. That night I didn’t sleep. I was at the Harlingen bank when they opened. I rushed in and handed over the pesos. All along I was praying that God would let me have enough money to pay for the motel room, I could eat when I got home. That particular day the peso’s value was up and I actually ended up with $20 more than I had given the two Mexicans. All along God was prompting me to make the exchange. I was too much of a coward to do it until there was no other option. You might think I am quicker to listen to God, I’m not. But I’m working on it.