I was in church the other day, and a little something occurred to me. It was offering time, and there was this little girl going down the pew with the collection plate. I think, way back when, I probably did that a few times.

Anyway, I noticed that as she was coming my way, her plate was empty. No bills. No coins. Empty. This was a consummate tragedy. Well, not maybe not that bad.

I think most of us attendees are using the church’s eGiving service. I can see the reason churches love those. Automatic recurring donations are very reliable, which is wonderful for budgeting.

But, that still brings us back to the little girl and the empty plate. Just think. Wouldn’t it be a bummer to go the whole way down the church, get nothing, and have to go back with an empty plate? No, the kids should get to bring back some tangible sign of accomplishment!

Unfortunately, I was a bit slow to think of this, and I think my wallet might have been devoid of cash anyway. Fortunately, another super hero stepped in with some change and saved the day. The crisis was averted!

I’ve decided to always make sure to bring some change with me. The regular online donation is great, but I also want to put a little something tangible in the basket. Nobody will be going back up with an empty plate on my watch! And I’d encourage you to do so as well.

What’s a few extra bucks? Maybe not even a cup of coffee to you or me, but enough to make a little kid’s day. As Live put it in Waitress, “Everybody’s good enough for some change”. (Not Quite Work-safe)