More Than a Dollar's Worth

As a young wife and mother, It was my first outing with my sister,  just she and I. Our excursion was only blocks away from home, so the trip was short but sweet. I did a lot of looking that day and spent only one dollar because I didn’t need anything, and money was scarce those days. Still, my sister insisted on buying perfume for me, and I gratefully accepted after some persuasion.

Quality time doesn’t require many minutes, nor must it be costly, but it can make a lasting impression. My sister’s time shared with me created precious memories I cherish: my first “sister” outing, sweet fellowship, a dollar can bring satisfaction, and the perfume (the same fragrance I still wear decades later) reminds me of my sister. The aroma of that day was more than a spritz of a sample perfume.

What is this story’s message? “Let brotherly love continue. . . Let your conversation [life] be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have. . .” (Hebrews 13:1, 5) Never did I feel deprived of friends, shopping, or finances. Although I had family living in the vicinity and was grateful, there were other times none lived nearby. The writer of Hebrews concluded his letter with various subjects: love one another, avoid the love of money and be satisfied with what you have—God will care for you and never abandon you. I was then, and still am today, beyond blessed.