I was the evangelist at the South Dakota State Camp Meeting one year. After
the meeting was over and I had received my offering from the committee, a
brother came to me and wanted to give me $50 extra but I refused to accept
it. "Why," he said, "Don't you need it?" "Yes," I said, "I need it badly,
but I do not feel I can take it." "Well," he said, finally after much
persuasion, "If you won't take it, I'll put it in the bank. For the Lord
told me to give it to you, and I don't want it, and it will be there until
you call for it."
About nine months later, I needed money and wrote him to see if I could
borrow it until the next camp meeting. He sent it right away and wrote
saying, "Thank God, it is out of my hands, and I'll never take it back
again." At the next camp meeting, I tried again to pay it back, but I
failed, so I went to prayer and asked the Lord what I should do. The Lord
said, "You give Brother Renbeck fifteen dollars for a new suit, and you
keep the rest for your family." (In those days one could get a good suit
for fifteen dollars).
I looked for Brother Renbeck and finally he came. He had been weeping,
although he still seemed happy. "Why have you been weeping?" I asked. "I
need a new suit, and I went out and prayed and the Lord told me I could get
a new fifteen dollar one." I reached my hand out and said, "Here is your
fifteen dollars." He stepped back and said, "No, no! I couldn't take it
from you. You need it worse than I do." I explained to him how it was, and
he accepted it and praised the Lord. In those days we didn't know any
different than to trust the Lord.
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