Pastor Ralph looked out of his church office window at the park across the street. There were some young children on recess at the nearby school. Some were playing hopscotch, others were skipping rope, and still others were playing catch with a baseball.  

They were laughing, giggling and enjoying themselves. He especially noticed one little girl—she couldn’t have been more than six or seven years old. She was sitting by herself, all alone on one of the wooden benches that were scattered throughout the park.

Soon the alarm bell rang at the one room school next door to the church to indicate recess was over.  All the children left the park and scampered back to the classroom. Pastor Ralph returned to work at his desk.

It was the early 1930s and in the depth of the Depression. This little town in Georgia had a population of about only 300 people. Residents in the outlying farm area grew mainly cotton, peaches and peanuts; if the number of people on the farms were also counted, the population could swell to no more than six or seven hundred. people. Yet, the town still only had a one-room school house and two churches.

When the school bell rang again, it was time for lunch. The children poured back into the park, along with their brown paper sack lunches . Again, Pastor Ralph noted that the little girl sat alone on a park bench. This happened day after day.

One day Pastor Ralph rose from his desk chair and walked across the street.  As he got closer he was startled to see that the little girl sitting alone on a bench was shabbily dressed, had an unwashed face, and her hair was all tangled and, well—dirty. He sat down on the end of the bench.  He could see she had been crying, and tears were running down her cheeks. 

He found out that her name was Joy and that her dad had left the family before she was born. Then her mother died when she was three years old. Joy was being raised by her elderly grandmother. The other children shunned her, and she was so very lonely and hungry.

The next morning Ralph made two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. When the school bell rang indicating it was time for lunch, he watched as the kids brought their lunches to the park and gathered in small groups. He noticed that Joy was again alone, and had no lunch to eat as she sat on a park bench.  

Ralph made his way from the church, walked across the street and sat down on the bench with Joy.  He gave her one of the sandwiches. She smiled shyly, and they ate lunch together. This became a weekday event, and Joy began to look forward to lunchtime.  

As they visited each day, Ralph found out that Joy’s birthday was the following week.  So when lunch on her birthday rolled around, he not only brought the sandwich, he gave her a box tied up with a ribbon—a special   birthday present for her!. It was the first birthday present she could ever remember getting. It was a new dress! Joy’s weak smile turned into a grin. 

One Sunday Ralph was surprised to see Joy and Joy’s grandmother sitting in the congregation. They came several Sundays in a row, and on Easter Sunday morning, at age 7, Joy gave her heart to Jesus.  A few Sunday’s after that, Joy’s grandmother also became a Christian. 

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We love because He first loved us.   1 John 4:19 NIV

God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.   1 Peter 4:10 NLT

“Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ 

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you did for Me.’ Matthew 25:37-40 NIV 

- Kenneth Robb Kersey

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If you have a story or testimony that you think might bless others,
I invite you to send it by email to me (Kenneth Kersey) at godsotherways@me.com.

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