Stories

We’ve just returned from church. The minister had a great lesson. He is a good man who is paid by our congregation to preach and to minister to the people of this church. He earns his money.

I have been thinking about family stories and today I thought I’d share a couple of stories about my grandfather. He was a minister in first half of the last century, a time when ministers were not paid a salary. He ran a little store and taught school to earn money, but if you asked him what he did he would always answer that he was a minister of the gospel.

One time Grampa went to another town to hold a gospel meeting. He took the train to get there and stayed in the home of one of the members for the week of the meeting. At the end of the week the church passed around the collection plate to get enough money to pay for Grampa’s train fare. When the money was counted up, it was discovered that they had collected fifty cents more than needed for the train fare. They immediately called out to the brother who was the most generous giver that he had given too much. The brother should come and take back fifty cents. He said no. “Give that fifty cents to the preacher. He did a fine job for us this week.” So my grandfather earned fifty cents plus train fare for preaching every night for a week. He was content.

One my mother’s earliest memories is about the time Grampa was was paid in molasses for his preaching. She and her little sister, Rubye, were sitting on little wooden chairs in the back of the wagon. In the wagon with them were two barrels of molasses that had been given to them by one of the church members. The day was hot, and as they rode home the molasses began to expand in the heat. It oozed out of the barrels and covered the floor of the wagon. When they arrived home my mom’s feet were stuck to the floor of the wagon. She couldn’t move her feet. She was forced to untie her good church shoes and leave them stuck in the molasses in order to lifted out of the wagon. What a mess that must have been!

Do you have family stories that make you smile?