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A sobbing little girl stood near a small church
from which she had been turned away because it
was too crowded. "I can't go to Sunday School,"
she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by.
Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the
pastor guessed the reason and, taking her by the hand, took her inside and found a place for her in the
Sunday School class. The child was so touched
that she went to bed that night thinking of the
children who have no place to worship Jesus.
Some two years later, this child lay dead in one
of the poor tenement buildings and the parents
called for the kind-hearted pastor, who had
befriended their daughter, to handle the final
arrangements. As her poor little body was being
moved, a worn and crumpled purse was found which seemed to have been rummaged from some trash
dump. Inside was found 57 cents and a note
scribbled in childish handwriting, which read,
"This is to help build the little church bigger
so more children can go to Sunday school."
For two years she had saved for this offering of
love.
When the pastor tearfully read that note, he
knew instantly what he would do! Carrying this
note and the cracked, red pocketbook to the
pulpit, he told the story of her unselfish love
and devotion. He challenged his deacons to get
busy and raise enough money for the larger
building.
But the story does not end there! A newspaper
learned of the story and published it. It was
read by a realtor who offered them a parcel of
land worth many thousands of dollars. When told
that the church could not pay so much, he offered
it for 57 cents!!!
Church members made large subscriptions. Checks
came from far and wide. Within five years the
little girl's gift had increased to $250,000.00 a
huge sum for that time (near the turn of the
century).
Her unselfish love had paid large dividends.
When you are in the city of Philadelphia, look up
Temple Baptist Church with a seating capacity of
3,300 and Temple University where hundreds of
students are trained. Have a look, too, at the
Good Samaritan Hospital and at a Sunday School
building which houses hundreds of Sunday
scholars, so that no child in the area will ever
need to be left outside during Sunday School
time. In one of the rooms of this building may be
seen the picture of the sweet face of the little
girl whose 57 cents, so sacrificially saved, made
such remarkable history.
Alongside of it is a portrait of her pastor, Dr.
Russel H. Conwell, author of the book, "Acres of
Diamonds."
Goes to show WHAT GOD CAN DO WITH 57 cents!
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