NEAR THE END? - Baptist Bible Tribune

Seventy-five CentsBy Sandie Powella BasketShe scrubbed and scrubbed untilher knuckles bled. It wasn’t herchoice, but it fell her lot to holdher family together.Adelaide, affectionately called “Addie”by friends and family, had alwaysbeen a hard worker. Addie had tenchildren. Her husband, Pearl, met anuntimely death and left her to care forthis large brood with the only meansshe could. She washed baskets of laundryfor 75 cents each.Pearl had been the town drunk.This was not a spiteful label, but onehe had rightfully earned. He met hisdeath in a brawl, following a lengthydrinking spree. Addie received wordfrom a friend late one night as shebedded down her children in the tinyone-room converted barn at the edge oftown. This was home for Adelaide andher large family.The rich folks in town knew Adelaidewould do the best possible job,carefully scrubbing their laundry. Theystuffed the baskets full and felt charitableas they paid her 75 cents a basket.One day, a prosperous lady substituteda worn sweater for the 75 cents. AsAddie traveled home, weary and disappointed,she looked at the used sweaterand noticed the pearl buttons had allbeen cut off, making it even less usableand certainly not worth her afternoonof hard work.The disappointment was particularlydifficult because this basket oflaundry had a special purpose. It wasearmarked for something that wasmore precious to Addie than food, milk,or even fuel to heat their drafty barnhome. It was earmarked for a piano lessonfor her precious Linnie.Linnie was the youngest of the tenand often accompanied her mother onwashday. If there was a piano anywherein the vicinity, Linnie would sitdown and quietly plunk out melodioustunes, much to the amazement of hermother’s patrons. Adelaide recognizedthe God-given talent in Linnie and wasdetermined her youngest daughterwould develop and use her talent forGod’s glory. Adelaide was a dedicatedChristian and had passed her faith onto each one of her ten children.One day, after a long afternoon ofheavy washing, Addie noticed a hideous,whitewashed upright piano in thecorner of the living room of an elderlyman she washed for. She asked if thepiano was for sale. The man was anxiousto get rid of the eyesore and saidhe would gladly sell it for $5 if someonewould remove it from his home. Shemanaged to raise the money, and sheand little 10-year-old Linnie pushed thepiano all the way through town to theirbarn home. That piano filled one wholecorner of the cramped dwelling, andAddie beamed with every note Linnieplayed day after day as she faithfullypracticed on her piano.Linnie, or Linda as we know hernow, became a skillful church pianist.She is Linda Guinn, the wife of WayneGuinn, director of the National ChurchPlanting Office. Those of us who knowher have enjoyed her musical talentand God-given gift. Truly, Adelaide’ssacrifice and 75-cent baskets of laundryhave brought huge dividends. Nothingever given to God is forgotten orwasted.Baptist Bible Tribune [ July/August 2009 ] 19