Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: MISSION (01/30/20)
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TITLE: Scrooge McDuff | Previous Challenge Entry
By Robyn Harbour
02/05/20 -
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‘Sorry Bernie, I don’t think we will work out,’ said Anne, rubbing her feet after a 3km walk to a cheap restaurant and back. Bernie had insisted that it was close enough to walk, and said it would save a taxi fare. There were closer restaurants, but they were more expensive.
One girlfriend, Liz, went as far as to agree to an engagement. Bernie took her to the jewelers and asked to be shown the cheapest rings, and when he commented they were still too expensive. Liz walked out of the shop and he never saw her again.
‘Hey Scrooge McDuff,’ his co-workers would tease. ‘How close are you to the ten million mark now?’ (Bernie had passed the 1 million mark before he was 30.’
'Scrooge isn't it time you invested in a new suit, yours is starting to look a bit shiny around the cuffs and elbows, and that tie is definitely mid-century. People won’t give us their money to invest if it looks like we are not prosperous ourselves.’ His financial savvy was good for business, his dress sense was a problem.
Bernie heard their snide remarks and ignored them. How were they to know what he had risen from? With an alcoholic father and a mother addicted to gambling, he had spent most of his childhood unloved, lonely, hungry, and often went to school dirty and torn clothes. His nickname at school was ‘stinky’. His tender heart had been crushed and damaged at an early age.
His family had lived in Government housing that was run down, desperately in need of repair. Bernie determined that when he grew up he would be the richest man on earth.
Bernie had worked hard to get to where he was today. He left school at 14 and found a job as an errand boy. He scraped and saved to enroll in a basic accounting course at the local TAFE, graduating with distinction. He put himself through University, graduating with an accounting degree and was now a Certified Practicing Accountant.
Bernie had Asperger’s Syndrome, he was focused on only one thing, that is to be rich, this became his life’s mission. Amassing money was his only motivation. He didn’t own a car, preferring public transport or walking. He was always neatly and cleanly dressed in clothes bought at the local department store. He lived in a modest flat, the aim of all this economy was to save.
One cold Sunday evening in need of warmth he saw the lights on in a church and wandered in. For the first time, he heard the gospel message, that Jesus wanted to be his friend. For Bernie who had no close friends, this was balm to his lonely soul.
He took to his faith with the same passion that he squirreled away money, but there was one difference, he loved God so much he was prepared to part with his 10% each Sunday.
One day reading the Bible he came across this verse: Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done. Proverbs 9:17.
This was a light bulb moment for him. He now realized why he had never had a proper girlfriend. Why his co-worker called him ‘Scrooge McDuff’. Why he put up with cold winters and hot summers rather than spend money on heating and cooling. Why he had never bought a car to make life easier.
Bernie was now on a mission. This time a mission to give away his money, a mission to help the poor and needy. He would buy a coffee and take away meals for homeless people he saw on his way home from work. He rolled up his sleeves and helped widows, carried groceries, washed windows, and he volunteered at a soup kitchen. He was determined to show the love of God to all he met.
He talked constantly about his faith at work. His co-workers saw a huge change in the odd little man they called ‘Scrooge McDuff’. Now they just called him ‘McDuff’, and their respect for him grew daily.
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Well done,
Blessings~