Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: Rescue - Recuse - Secure (07/24/25)
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TITLE: Michael and Tasha | Previous Challenge Entry
By Marilyn Meiners
07/26/25 -
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He needed this Sabbatical.
Before he left, however, he called two of his trusted leaders, Michael and Tasha, to his office. “Michael,” the pastor said. “While I’m away, I’m going to entrust you with the building, the finances and records. Make sure the church is safe, the accounts are in order, and that nothing is lost. Be wise and secure everything I place in your hands.”
“Got it, Pastor. I’ll make sure everything is secure,” replied Michael.
“Tasha, I leave you with the people. Watch over the youth group, check in on the widows, visit the sick, and open the doors to anyone in need. If trouble comes, don’t run away, but stand firm and rescue those who are struggling.”
“Yes Pastor. This is where my heart is. I’ll rescue all who need rescuing and share Jesus with them along the way,” smiled Tasha
Three days later, Pastor Anthony left for his Sabbatical.
Michael loved spreadsheets, keys and policies. He would secure the church by changing the church door locks, installing a new security system, and placing cameras at every entrance. He met with the bank, updated the records, and polished every pew. He told himself, “I’ll make sure this place runs perfectly and securely. The pastor will be proud of me.”
Tasha, on the other hand, spent her days with people. She led a prayer group, cooked meals for single mothers, drove teenagers to their job sites and even slept on a couch in the youth room one Friday when a girl had nowhere else to go. She didn’t have time to polish the pews, or straighten the bulletin board. But she smiled and prayed with people in the parking lot and always had an extra sandwich in her pink tote-bag - just in case.
On Wednesday night, a storm knocked out the power in the city. Several young men broke into the church through a back window where there were no cameras. Michael saw the break-in happening from his phone, called the police and shouted at the screen. But the men got away with some sound equipment and an office computer.
Michael cried out, “Lord, I did all I could to secure your house. Why is this happening?”
Meanwhile, across town, Tasha was at a laundromat when a teenager entered, trying to get out of the storm. He looked a little frightened. “What’s wrong?” asked Tasha.
“Nothing.”
“Oh come on now, I can see fear written all over your face. Talk to me,” implored Tasha.
After a silent few minutes, the shaken teenager admitted what was bothering him. He had been with a couple of boys who broke into a church and stole some of its property. The police were out looking for the boys.
“Hmmmmm,” said Tasha. "You did the right thing by telling me. You may have taken some things from the church, but I’m here to tell you what the church wants to give to you.”
The boy, whose name was Nick, looked uneasy, but he listened to Tasha share the Good News about Jesus.
That night, in a laundromat, Nick gave his heart to Jesus.
Tasha helped him turn himself in, but not before feeding him and praying with him. She then connected him with a mentor. She promised to stay with him through his court hearings. He would probably do community service, and she would be there too.
Michael was beside himself. “I did everything I could to secure the church,” he bemoaned to the pastor when he returned. “But still the church was robbed.”
The pastor nodded gently, "You stayed faithful in the small things, but you should have asked for help. Michael, it’s not weakness to recuse yourself from a burden that belongs in God’s hands. Still, God understands - and He forgives you; me too.”
The pastor found Tasha at the church gym, painting walls with a group of teenagers, including Nick.
“Tasha, didn’t you lose church property too?”
Tasha smiled. “Yes, Pastor. But we gained a soul.”
The pastor wept and said, “Well done Tasha. You gave when it was risky, loved when it was messy, and rescued what mattered most.”
Moral: Securing a church protects the place, but loving people saves a soul.
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