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Earthly
poverty,
eternal wealth
Ruby Davey remembers an infinitely precious
gift...
 n
thinking of the subject of 'Free Gift' (or in my learning of the
French language 'gratis cadeau'!), I had to go back years and
years to my childhood, a childhood of poverty where one was
so thankful for the small things in life, but still a life where
one felt happy and philosophical despite the daily happenings
all around. Gifts were unheard of. I don't remember receiving
any gifts at Christmas or birthdays because my father (being a
miner) had no work for weeks on end owing to a general strike
and a time of great depression - I never expected anything and
was quite happy if I had some food to eat and did not feel ill.
What a difference
to the times in which we live now. People have so much - often
more than they need. So much food is wasted these days that when
I see it I feel it keenly because of my past. My parents did their
best with the little that they had and managed to make it go a
long way, yet we were pleased just to be together and sharing
as a family. Now, as Christmas approaches and I see the loads
of toys that children get these days, I look back to when I was
happy making pretend pastry out of clay, having a pretend shop
where broken china was used as money, and discarded stalks of
rhubarb were cut up for sale! Dressing up in bits of lace curtains,
putting on plays, using our imagination to such an extent that
we were unaware of how little we possessed.
ne
day, when I was coming up to the age of eleven or twelve, my school
friends invited me to a meeting where food was given 'free' to
the children. I could not resist this as hunger was always
with me. I'll never forget the aroma of the food as we entered
the building and I was soon, along with my friends, devouring
this very welcome free gift.
Then a speaker
started to tell us about Jesus loving us children and how He longed
for us to come to Him and receive His love into our hearts. Being
satisfied with the meal I had just eaten, I was able to listen
and felt a growing need to respond to this invitation, so I and
several of my classmates went forward for prayer, and it was then
that I received my second free gift, the greatest gift in all
the world! I was full of joy when I went home and told my mother
what I had done. In Romans 6:23 it tells us that the gift of God
is eternal life. What a gift! No other gift could compare with
this, that we who accept God can look forward to an inheritance!
I was immediately lifted out of poverty and into riches! How wonderful,
and it is free!
Ruby
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