Willie had two pennies: one he planned to spend at a nearby store; the other, to put in a box which was placed on the breakfast table each Lord’s Day morning, and in that was put any money the family saved, to buy Bibles for those who had none, to teach them of God.
But, while playing, Willie lost one penny. When getting ready for bed at night he told his mother of the lost penny. She asked him which penny was lost. He opened his hand, looked at the one penny, then said, “I think this penny is mine.” “Then it must be God’s penny that is lost,” said his mother, as she kissed him “goodnight” and went downstairs.
In a big-hollow tree near the house were some owls with their baby owls, and Willie liked to listen to their cries. Soon he heard the call, “Tu-whoo-tu-whoo!” It sounded to Willie, as though they were calling about his two pennies and asking whose penny he had, He thought of what he could buy at the store with a penny; then, someway, he thought of children, his mother had told of, who had never heard of the Lord. Jesus, and needed men and Bibles to tell them.
So when the owls again called, “Tu-whoo-tu-whoo?” Willie said to himself, “It was my penny that was lost.”
He was now getting very sleepy but once more he heard the call, “Tu-whoo-tu-whoo!” And this time he answered aloud,
“This is God’s penny”, then went happily to sleep.
Next morning he hurried to his mother, with the penny in his hand and told her, “It was my penny that was lost: this is God’s penny.” She was very happy to hear Willie say this.
So when the little box was placed on the table, Willie eagerly dropped in the penny. His father, too, had heard about the lost penny and told Willie he had decided the best way, to give to God first.
Willie was only five years old then, but when he grew to be a young man he gave what was more than money—he went himself to Central Africa, leaving friends, home, and comforts, to teach the people of the Saviour. He sometimes spoke of the night when he thought the owls asked about his pennies and was never sorry for the choice he made.
“He which soweth sparingly shall reap, also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully,”
ML 12/20/1936