TO BE FREE
Twelve-year-old Chelsea had it all. Born into a rich family, she always had everything she wanted. For her fifth birthday party, her parents paid for a mini-circus to perform at their house and invited all of the kindergarten. Around ten every night for about a week she asked for a horse. That weekend she woke up to the sound of a neighing horse. She is now 12 and for good grades, her parents reward her with trips to places like Paris or Sydney. Chelsea was used to getting what she wanted when she wanted it.
Except for occasional trips with her parents, Chelsea spent most of her life with nannies. She went through them like a bag of chocolates. Most of them couldn’t stand her demanding ways.
But then Sarah came. She was different than the others.
Chelsea didn’t understand why Sarah didn't yell or leave her after a few days or weeks. Soon her curiosity got the best of her, and she asked Sarah why she didn‘t leave as the other nannies had. Sarah explained that she loved Chelsea, no matter what she did. This was so different and new that Chelsea wanted to know more.
So Sarah started taking Chelsea to church. She found the world strange and uncomfortable at first. The people were kind and loving but indifferent to Chelsea's wealth and status. With each passing Sunday Chelsea became a little more used to the people and was able to pay attention to what was taught. She heard about Jesus healing the sick, feeding the hungry, but what caught her attention about Jesus was his love. She heard that Jesus had come to earth from heaven to live and die for her, and for all people, so that she could be forgiven. Chelsea noticed that at church she saw people helping the sick, the hungry, and most of all she saw them loving people - people like her and not so much like her. That Sunday she talked to Sarah about following Jesus and before long Chelsea accepted Jesus as her Savior.
One Sunday the preacher told about a rich young man who visited Jesus...
And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”And Jesus said to him,“Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments:‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’”And he said,“All these I have kept from my youth.”When Jesus heard this, he said to him,“One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said,“How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”Those who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?”But he said,“What is impossible with man is possible with God. Moved by the desire to obey her Lord, she devised a plan so as to not become like the rich young ruler; alone, sad, and without her Lord. On the way home, she told Sarah her plan.
At dinner that evening Chelsea asked her parents to give her all of her savings. Nearly choking on their food, her parents demanded to know why. Chelsea took a deep breath and told them about Jesus and that, with Sarah’s help, she planned to give her money away. They were shocked but, as always, they gave in to her.
Sarah helped Chelsea find organizations that would make good use of a large portion of her money, places such as soup kitchens, half-way homes, foster/adoption agencies, churches, missionaries, and homeless groups. Chelsea felt a weight lifted off her and a new freedom in obedience. With her petty cash, she and Sarah performed many “acts of kindness”. Every Saturday they would serve soup at the local soup kitchen. On each tray Chelsea would place a ten dollar bill. After serving, Chelsea and Sarah would sit and eat with those they had served. At school Chelsea started to mingle with the “have less” kids. Here she became quick friends with many. On several occasions she would help her new friends with things like new clothes, books, or buy their lunch at school. One time she even helped a family get repairs on their only transportation.
It took another year, but when Chelsea's parents saw their daughter becoming more respectful, thoughtful of others, and responsible, they started joining her and Sarah at church. And on Chelsea‘s fifteenth birthday, her parents also accepted Christ as their Savior!
