Montreal Musings 1: "Put this to good use"

   Yesterday an experience left me feeling as though I was in one of Jesus' parables.  The parable I am thinking about is the one where servants are entrusted with particular amounts of money and expected to invest the money to produce a good return.  It can be found in Matthew 25 entitled "The Parable of the Talents" in some Bibles.
   Yesterday we attended a church service in Cornwall, Ontario.  After the worship my husband began chatting with a member of the congregation who took a great interest in our plans for the week.  When this gentleman heard that we were on our way to Montreal to do volunteer work at the Ministry to Seafarers and also discovered my husband's work at a food bank, he asked many questions in addition to sharing insights of his own.  As we were departing, he reached into his pocket and handed my husband a crisp $50 bill and the request to "put this to good use" this week.
   This is not the kind of thing that happens to a person everyday!  And yet, in a way, it does happen to us everyday.  The point of the parable Jesus told was that we have all been given talents and gift, opportunities and resources that we are to put to good use.  We are attempting to live this out in a unique way, away from our regular community.  But as servants of the Master, it should be our everyday goal.