Not Ours

Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” And they were amazed at him. Mark 12:17

She gave it back. For one reason, it was not hers.

Mildred Perez, an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) in Hongkong, has no job after filing a complaint in court against her employer who sexually assaulted her. Since Hongkong laws do not allow a complainant like her to take up employment, her two kids back in Nueva Viscaya, Philippines have to stopped their college courses. And for two years now she is digging and rummaging garbage bins for a living and for funding her visa extension. She even has a lump on her head that needs minor surgery which would cost about HK$3,000.

On a day after renewing her HK visa, Mildred picked up an envelope from a trash bin containing $176,000 in cash (in denomination of $1,000) and four checks: one for US$13,000, another for US$5,000, a third for US$3,250, and another for HK$10,920 as reported by INQUIRER.net.

The amount of money could have save her from her miserable life. But she had grown with a father who taught her to give back anything that is not hers. She contacted HK information center about the company who lost the envelope and to cut the story short, she gave back what she has found to the rightful owner.

Jesus talks about give to God what is due to God. We found ourselves with all the things, tangible and intangible; we need to live by in this temporal immigrant life. We have skills and talents that matter small or big impact. We have resources which can bring someone food on the table or education for a lifetime. We have time to share a good word of encouragement or a gracious presentation of the Gospel.

Everything we have we received from Him. Everything we posses He gave us access. Our dear life is breathed through His grace. More than honesty, we acknowledge the privilege that our possessions, our abilities, our time, and our single life be given back to the rightful owner.

Give it back to God. For one reason, it’s not ours.