Have you ever thought what how you may impact your community, if so read on.

This is a story that started with 57 cents made some history.

This is a true story submitted by Dan Griffiths wherein he relates the
incidence that could lead to the Temple Baptist Church, Temple University
and the Good Samaritan Hospital in Philadelphia, USA. It is about a girl
and her 57 cents that made the history.

"I CAN'T GO TO SUNDAY SCHOOL"
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.

57 CENTS MULTIPLIED
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.
When told that the church could not pay so much, he offered it for a 57
cent payment. 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.

PHILADELPHIA TODAY
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 at Sunday
school time. In one of the rooms of this building is 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 kind pastor,
Dr. Russel H. Conwell, author of the book, "Acres of Diamonds".

UNSELFISH LOVE
When we are ready to show our shares of unselfish love for the cause of the
billions who are perishing without Christ, imagine what we can do and what
can be achieved for the Lord. Someone said "It is not the one big
contribution that counts, but the many small ones are the ones that makes
the difference". Will you, my dear friend be willing to set aside your 57
cents so that those outside the fold of salvation be brought into the
eternal salvation plan of our Lord in the various parts of our world?

Source: Abraham Sahu via Joel News

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