Monday, 4th October, 2021
Bible Reading: Proverbs 13:22, 2 Timothy 2:2
Memory Verse: A good person leaves an inheritance to his grandchildren. Proverbs 13:22a
Dale Schroeder (April 8, 1919 – April 12, 2005) was a carpenter from Iowa, United States. He worked 67 years for the same firm. He lived frugally, owning only two pairs of blue jeans: one for work and one for attending church on Sundays. He never married or had children. When he died in 2005, no one could have guessed how rich Schroeder really was. He had saved up a fortune over the years. He had no living descendants, so before he died, he went to his lawyer with a plan for his money. He said, ‘I never got the opportunity to go to college. So, I’d like to help kids go to college. Not only did Schroeder have enough money to send a few kids to college, he had enough saved to send dozens.
How much are we talking about? ‘Oh, just shy of $3 million.’ Nielson, Dale’s friend nearly fell off his chair when he heard this. Kira Conard was one of the beneficiaries of Dale’s legacy. In high school, she had the grades to attend college, but not the money. “I grew up in a single parent household and I had three older sisters, so paying for all four of us was never going to happen,” she said. Thanks to Dale. Friend, what pain in your past are you willing to convert to gain for those coming after you? Pave the way for generations coming after you.
Schroeder ended up paying for thirty-three students he never knew. The group, who has dubbed themselves “Dale’s kids,” do come together to honour the man who changed their lives. They’re now doctors, teachers, therapists, etc. There’s just one thing Schroeder asked for in return. “All we ask is that you pay it forward,” Nielsen said. “You can’t pay it back, because Dale is gone, but you can remember him and you can emulate him by helping others.”
Lessons:
1. Don’t waste the pain of your past or in your upbringing. Convert such pain to a message or ministry.
2. Charity begins at home.
3. Not all poor men are actually poor.
4. Have a will. You shouldn’t die and your family members or in-laws starts to fight over what they didn’t labour for.
5. Leave a legacy. Keep living in the hearts of men even after you are long dead.
Quote: Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you – ShannonAlder
Prophetic Decree: May the memory of your exploits for the Kingdom of God endure even in eternity, in Jesus name.
Prayer Focus
1. Thank you Jesus for living an enduring legacy in your thirty-three years on earth.
2. I receive a fresh anointing for Kingdom exploits, in Jesus name.
3. I receive grace to convert my past pain to future legacy, in Jesus name.
4. My background shall not put my destiny on the ground, in Jesus name.
5. Power of the most High, see me through in my pilgrimage on earth, in Jesus name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Matthew 3; Mark 1; Luke 3