Miracles Happen

I read an article in The Luthern magazine about a woman named Mildred Wilson. She lived a basic life and moved in the 1950's to a farm in Breckenridge, Minnesota, members of that church welcomed her and her husband, Ellert. The Wilsons lived in an apartment above a local prison where Mildred cooked and prepared food for the prisoners and Ellert served as deputy sheriff. They were both very careful about saving and values of modest living because they grew up during the Depression. Mildred died and her congregation received surprising news. For many years, Mildred had been saving and accumulated farmland assests to share one day with her congregation and ELCA churchwide ministries. With Mildred's careful planning, she was able to leave a significant gift in her will to the Breckenridge Luthern Church and the ministries that meant so much to her. ELCA World Hunger, a ministry within the church and helps the root causes of hunger and poverty was also left with a substantial gift. "I suppose it went back to living through the Depression," said one of her family friends. Mildred was dedicated to helping others because she knew what it was like to go without. Like my dad always says, "Give more and you'll recieve more." I guess I have never really understood that quote that he always tells me but as I read this article it showed that it is true. Mildred Wilson made differences in thousands of peoples lives and I am sure they are so greatful for it. She wasn't a rich person but she was rich in the way of helping others in the world and in ways that only Jesus and her lawyer were aware of. Anybody can make a difference in the world with a planned gift. You don't have to be a millionaire, what she has done is an everyday, ordinary miracle. One quote that I really liked from the reading was, "Her dollars will multiply like the story of the loaves and fishes when they are used among the hungry."