<TITLE>09. Par 22-22</TITLE>L-22 I was game warden here for years, when I was a Baptist minister. I just used to patrol. I never taken a offering in my life: never took one offering in my life.
So, a brother asked me one time if I'd take him a offering. I said, "You'll starve next week." 'Cause I remember one time I said I was going to take an offering in my church and I told my wife. We got to a place where we couldn't make ends meet. Did you ever get them places? Sure you have.
And I said, "Honey, I'm going to take an offering tonight."
She said, "I'm going over to watch you."
So I got up there, and I said... Now, because they wouldn't... They'd give me anything they had, but I was young and why couldn't I work same as anyone else. So I got up, and I said, "Brethren, I..." We didn't have even collection plate. I said, "I--I going to... Hit a little tough place, I'm going to take a offering tonight." And I said, "Would somebody get my hat?"
And one the old deacons walked over to get my hat. I looked down, a little old mother setting there under--a little checkered apron. I don't know whether you ever seen the pocket on the inside of the apron. She reached down there and got out one of those--during the time of the depression, anyhow (You know?), and that little pocketbook that snaps over the top, begin to fumble around them nickels, and oh, my, I couldn't stand it. "Oh," I said, "I was just a teasing you. I didn't mean it." That was the closest I ever come to taking an offering.
And Mr. Ryan, an old fellow that come down from Dowagiac, Michigan, had long hair, rode a bicycle down there, and he give it to me, and I got a ten cent can of paint and painted it, and sold it for five dollars. Didn't have to take the offering after all.


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