“A Story of Real Generosity”
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The story is told that one day a beggar by the roadside asked for alms from Alexander the Great as he passed by. The man was poor and wretched and had no claim upon the ruler, no right even to lift a solicitous hand. Yet the Emperor threw him several gold coins. A courtier was astonished at his generosity and commented, “Sir, copper coins would adequately meet a beggar’s need. Why give him gold?” Alexander responded in royal fashion, “Copper coins would suit the beggar’s need, but gold coins suit Alexander’s giving.”
It is rare in our culture to see vivid examples of real generosity. Such an act is illustrated with the gift given to Lewisburg United Methodist Church in Tennessee. We at Trinity Design Group had the unique pleasure to be part of such an extraordinary occurrence this past Sunday. We attended the dedication service for two new buildings, one being a fellowship hall and the other a day care center. The buildings were made possible by the endowment from the estate of Mr. J. T. McKnight.
That which makes this story so inspiring is that Mr. McKnight had no apparent wealth. He did not lead a life of extravagance or excess and never gave any evidence of his accumulated wealth. He was a quiet, private individual. Mr. McKnight worked as a bank teller the majority of his life at the same bank. He continued in this position through many mergers and acquisitions. His passion was found in saving and farming. The story is told of how Mr. McKnight would buy a “two-hamburger special” eating one for lunch and saving the other for dinner. He was just that kind of man.
At his death the Lewisburg UMC was surprised at both receiving the endowment and the size of it. He had left half of his estate to the church for the purpose of ministering to children and teenagers. The funding from this endowment was more than enough to complete the design and construction of two buildings, one to be used as a new daycare facility and the other as a fellowship hall.
The daycare facility replaced an outdated one with a modern code compliant one. The multipurpose fellowship hall has been used every week since it its completion for fellowship and care meals open to the community. Future uses include basketball and recreation as well music and theatrical events to reach the community. The church also plans on installing an emergency generator so the building can be used as an emergency shelter.
This story reminds me of the lesson Jesus taught to His disciples. He tells a story of a man who entrusts a portion of his wealth to three men. He gives one man “five talents,” another “two talents,” and yet another “one talent.” His instructions were clear as they knew the man very well from their past history with him. Two of the men went and invested well bringing a fair return, while one merely hid his charge and only returned the original amount. Jesus said of the men who have invested their “talents”: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 18:21 NIV). It is a clear instruction from our Lord that we are expected to use the resources of time, talent, and material things to bring honor to the kingdom. J. T. McKnight was such a man. I am sure he heard those same words as he crossed from this life into eternity: “Well done, my good and faithful servant!”
A Note about the Author: Don Emmitte, Church Navigator with Trinity Design Group, is a new “old hand” in church growth, facility design, and management. After serving for over thirty years as a pastor of churches with over two thousand resident members, founder of Grace Restoration Ministries, and author of Morning Devotionals, he joined the team at TDG in 2009 to expand his passion: helping churches reach their God-given goals by making the most of their resources. For more information, contact Don at demmitte@trinitydesigngroup.com.
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