Description
His Last Money
Having spent time recently in New Zealand, I had occasion to learn from the wisdom of Matthew Cowley, one of the most influential missionaries ever to serve in that beautiful land. This profound story stayed with me. It happened to him as a new missionary. He said:
“On one occasion, while standing on the sidewalk in front of a store, an old Maori man came up to me. He tried to give me a coin, a two and sixpence, worth about fifty cents. At that moment I had fifty dollars in my pocket, which was enough for me to live on for three months. I did not need his money. He tried to give it to me. He did not speak any English. I did not know any Maori. But I could tell that he was trying to give me this money. I finally sent him on his way.
When my companion came out, I said, ‘See that old Maori man walking down there? He tried to give me some money!’
He said, ‘What did you do?’
I said, ‘I wouldn’t take it!’
He said, ‘Well, go get it!’
I said, ‘I don’t want it! I don’t need it! I’ve probably got ten times or twenty times more money that he’s got.’
Elder Dastrup said to me, ‘Go on down the street—run down—and get a hold of him and tell him to give you the money.’
So reluctantly I did. When I got to him, I held out my hand.”
And this is the reason I tell you the story. Elder Cowley continued:
“As he gave me the coin, I saw some tears come to his eyes. I realized that it was something special to him. I think he saw in me, a young pakeha (Caucasian) boy, more than I thought I was. I was a servant of the Lord. He was giving me his last money, knowing that the Lord would bless him and pour out great blessings upon him because he was good to a humble servant of the Lord. That day I began to fall in love with the great Maori people of New Zealand. I learned what it meant to let somebody do something for you that they wanted to do.”
We love those we sacrifice and pray for and we sacrifice and pray for those we love.
Source: https://rsc.byu.edu/pioneers-pacific/memories-matthew-cowley-man-faith-apostle-pacific
