GIVE HALF TO THE CHURCH

I previously wrote about a former co-worker Margie here. We worked side by side at the bank so I was part of the following story.

Social Security checks use to arrive all at the beginning of the month instead of staggered like they do now. So senior check day was really busy at the bank. That was when we saw some people for the only time all month.

Many seniors stuck in our minds either by sweetness, crankiness or quirkiness. Such was the case of two sisters in their seventies. The two widows were both sweet and quirky but we never saw cranky.

They cashed their checks together each month, giving us a list of specific denominations leaning towards a lot of ones and fives. Then they went to the center counter in the lobby to divvy up the money into their rigid budgeting system.

They did not have a checking account but instead put their money in separate envelopes marked, rent, groceries, bus fare, medical, etc. The dollar amounts they put in the envelopes was the total amount allotted for each expense for the month. This was how they explained it to us and it seemed to work for them.

We were busy so we paid no attention to the ladies after we cashed their checks. Not long after however, a favorite senior of ours named Ralph came up to Margie's window and said he had found a fairly large amount of money in two envelopes under the center counter.

By the writing on the envelopes stating “rent and groceries”, we knew it was the sisters. They must have attempted to stuff them in their purses with the other envelopes and just missed the mark. We thanked Ralph profusely, got his phone number, then as soon as we went on break, Margie called the sisters.

They alternately sobbed and thanked God when she told them of the find. Then they said something that left Margie slack jawed and unable to respond. When she hung up quite stunned, she broke the news.

The sister on the phone said when they had gotten home and found the largest part of their budget missing, they were heart sick. They decided to pray for the return of their money, but were not too hopeful. They were desperate as those checks were their only income and their budget was tight.

She then told Margie, “I asked God that if he could help us get our money back, I would donate half of the money to the church.”

Margie then heard a gasp and the other sister in the back ground cried, “Oh dear no!! I promised the same thing.”

It was a rather dejected pair that came to collect the money that was now ALL promised to the church. This would be a bleak month for the widows who intended to keep their promises.

Margie convinced them to explain the whole story to their pastor before dropping the envelopes in the collection plate. Perhaps they could arrange a payment plan.

As suspected, the pastor refused the money and suggesting instead that the ladies bake cakes for all the church socials for the coming year. The pastor assured them that would please the Lord as much as the money and they would be square. The very clever pastor solved a sticky conundrum for the ladies.

The ladies called Ralph to thank him for returning the money. Turned out he was a lonely widower and pretty soon the ladies were fixing him regular dinners.

Ralph was still able to drive but had no car and they had a car they were no longer able to drive. So from then on, they all three came in together to cash their SS checks. Pretty sure what money was formerly in an envelope for bus fares, went to feeding Ralph.

As far as we knew, none of the three ever escalated into a possessive relationship which pleased Margie and I. We would have hated for that really nice man to have split up the sisters. Perhaps they were able to remain just friends, perhaps they decided to practice "big love" like the TV show. We just knew it worked.

All in all, a really happy ending.