He goes on to explain that he rushed out of the house earlier in the day and that his wife had just given birth to twin girls at the hospital. He was in need of gas. Could I help?
We have a system for that at Bethel. I didn't follow the system. I needed to get into the meeting, so I tried to be as quick as possible. I asked him to write down his contact information, and he gave me a name and phone number. I asked the names of the twin girls, and he gave me two names with birth weights.
Twice he told me he wasn't looking for a handout, but that he would be back with the money as soon as he got home--about 25 miles from Rochester--and could get back to town that evening. Maybe an hour and a half. That was Thursday.
I asked him for his driver's license--a requirement at Bethel for receiving a gas voucher. He had rushed out of the house. He didn't have it. I cannot give aid at Bethel without the license. But he looked so sincere, and I was pleased for the birth of his twins. I couldn't give him any Bethel help, but I could give him my own money. I explained that Bethel could not do what he asked, but I would trust him. He told me he would be back on Thursday.
It is Saturday.
Will he ever come back? Did I waste twenty dollars? Did I spend it? Did I invest it in the kingdom? I suppose I will never know. Quite a few people over my 32 years of being a pastor have said they would come back with the money. Only two have.
It is a risk. Of grace. Maybe I got taken by a good story. Maybe a father with new twins has just forgotten a promise. Maybe someone is thinking, "At least the church was willing to help." Sometimes grace does have a cost...
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