"Dad, David wants to see you," Bill greeted his father, Mr. Boyd Nicholson, as he brought his thirteen year old friend into the house.
"Glad to see you, David, sit down and be comfortable. I'll be glad to help you in any way I can." Mr. Nicholson put a friendly hand on the boy's shoulder and drew him in. David sat down in awkward silence and seemed at a loss to know how to begin, so Mr. Nicholson began to talk about various problems he knew a young fellow often faces, to put him at ease.
David did not respond, but sat quietly studying the rug on the floor between his feet. After a few moments Mr. Nicholson fell silent also, and sat studying the boy's serious face. This seemed to be what David was waiting for. Looking up he announced,
"I've got a job!"
"Say, that's great, glad to hear it! What are you doing?"
"Got a paper route." Another brief pause, and then, "I got my first pay check today!"
Mr. Nicholson smiled with pleasure. "That's wonderful, David! I remember what a day it was when I got my first pay check. It sure makes a fellow feel good to have money of his own that he has earned himself, doesn't it?"
David smiled in agreement as he drew a somewhat rumpled envelope from his pocket and handed it to his friend. "This is it. I want to give it to the Lord, and I thought you would know what to do with it!"
After David had gone, Mr. Nicholson opened the envelope. It was filled with coins, and as he poured them out on the dining room table he found it amounted to $1.65. His eyes misted with tears at the thought of the love and sacrifice this meant from a boy's heart. This was far too precious a gift to be used to purchase some small necessity. It should be used where it could best be multiplied for eternity!
After prayerful thought David's gift was put into an envelope and mailed to a missionary, Mr. George Walker, in Florida. He shared David's story, then made the suggestion that perhaps it could be used in Mr. Walker's radio work.
When the letter arrived Mr. Walker was just going out to buy a tape for his program, "Gospel Bells." One dollar and sixty-five cents was exactly the amount needed to purchase it!
This program was in Spanish, and not only could be heard in Florida, but was beamed into Cuba. On this particular day the Lord prompted Mr. Walker to announce a phone number anyone could use who wanted to contact him. The program was scarcely over before his phone was ringing.
As he lifted the receiver he heard a man's voice saying,
"I had my gun at my head, and was ready to pull the trigger when I decided to turn the radio on full blast to deaden the sound of the shot. I heard a voice saying loud and clear, 'Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.' That's what I need, but how do I get it? Can you come and help me?"
"Where are you?" "At the flop house."
They arranged to meet one another at a Chapel where the man poured out his sad story. He was a Cuban who had managed to escape from Cuba in a small boat. He was heartsick and discouraged because none of his attempts to get his family had succeeded, and it seemed that he would never see his loved ones again. It was then that God called to him through the radio with those wonderful words, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest!" Matthew 11:2828Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)
When Mr. Walker shared the story of God's great love in sending Christ to be his sin bearer, this man gladly received this One who would be his everlasting Friend!
With a face that glowed in spite of badly needing a shave he said, "I have the Answer to all my problems now!"
Sometime later Mr. Walker heard that this Cuban was going to be able to re-establish his family.
One evening at a conference in Toronto, Canada, Mr. Walker told the story of David's gift to the Lord of his first pay check that had been used of God to save a man from both physical and spiritual death. As he was leaving he felt a tug on his coat. Looking down he saw a small boy who was holding out an envelope and saying,
"Here, Uncle George, please buy two more tapes!"