I Want to Be Like Anna

As Christmas drew near, a missionary in Africa taught the people about giving gifts at the Christmas season. He told them that they were to bring their gifts to the church so the Jesus message might go to the tribes who had not yet heard Jesus' name.

It was Christmas Eve. They met in the little chapel, and one after another came up and laid his gift on the table. They were very simple gifts but given with love: a bundle of wheat, a bit of embroidery, a piece of fruit.

Then he saw Anna, a young woman, come shyly up to the altar, and, as though she feared she might be noticed, she quickly put something on the table then moved quietly away.

The missionary was startled to see that her gift was silver amounting to immense wealth. He knew the girl and wondered how she got such wealth and felt as if he ought to have a word with her in a fatherly way.

He later asked her, "I saw your gracious gift. But where did you ever get so much?"

Anna's eyes filled and she blushed. She said, "I had nothing to give. Jesus has meant so much to me; He is everything to me; and those folk over there, they do not know Him. My heart was heavy at the thought that I had nothing to give. I found a man in a neighboring tribe who wanted to buy a slave, and I sold myself to him and that was the money I got."

Her eyes flashed again and with a bit of a tremor in her voice, she said, "Jesus gave all for me. I am so glad to give myself for Him so others can learn of Him."

Dear Lord, help my passion for others to know Jesus be as compelling as Anna's.

"For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost" (Luke 19:10 NLT).

Aletha