One unsent cheque.
And a lesson our generation must learn… or regret forever.
“They Only Remember Me When They Need Money.”
It was a sunny afternoon under the old mango tree by the village barbershop.
Two elderly friends, Pa Sunday and Pa Bala, were talking about life… and how things had changed.
Pa Sunday looked tired. His voice heavy.
“Bala… my children and grandchildren don’t call me anymore unless I send money. Christmas, Easter, even on Children’s Day… silence. No ‘thank you,’ no ‘how are you, Grandpa,’… nothing.”
But Pa Bala just smiled.
“Sunday… my own grandchildren call me all the time. They visit me with smiles, even biscuits. One wore a tie last week, saying ‘Grandpa, I missed you.’”
Pa Sunday looked shocked:
“what prayer do you use on them?
Pa Bala laughed… “No… I just never sign the cheque I sent to them.”
The Trick That Taught a Lesson
Before any money moved… they had to call, visit, listen to old stories, even help him around the house.
Not because Bala was wicked…
But because he was wise.
“If they only remember me because of what I give, I’ve failed as a father and a grandfather,” Bala said.
“I want them to value people — not just payments.”
BIBLE LESSON: Honor That Comes from Love, Not Greed
The Bible tells us in Ephesians 6:2-3:
“Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—“so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
Not “honor your parents if they give you money.”
Not “love them when they are useful.”
But honor them — always.
Paul also warned in 1 Timothy 5:8:
“Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
He said this because some people pushed their family members to the church for daily food, while hiding their wealth — forgetting that real faith shows in love.
THE CHURCH MUST NEVER FORGET THE ELDERS
I always remind the church — during Mothering Sunday and Father’s Day — that we must raise donations for elderly widows, widowers, and indoor members who can no longer work.
Not just to give them food, but to teach their children the example of godly love.
To remind the youth that our old people are treasures — not burdens.
Some of these people built the churches we now worship in.
They gave their youth, their money, their strength… we cannot abandon them in their grey hair.
FOR YOUNG PEOPLE: LEARN BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE
✔️ Your parents and grandparents won’t always be here. Call them. Visit them. Pray with them while they are alive.
✔️ Don’t wait to post long Facebook eulogies after their death — show love now.
✔️ Old age is a project — plan for it early.
Save your money.
Take care of your health.
Invest in your future.
Serve God while you are young.
Ecclesiastes 12:1 says:
“Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come…”
FINAL WISDOM FROM THE MANGO TREE
- Don’t be the child that only shows up for inheritance.
- Don’t wait for funerals to gather around family.
- Don’t claim Christianity, yet live worse than unbelievers in caring for the old.
If you’re still young — take this advice seriously:
“How you treat the old today is how you will be treated tomorrow.”
If you’re already aging — know this:
God sees you, God values you, and He never abandons His own.
Isaiah 46:4 promises:
“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you…”
Comment below: What lesson did this teach you? Have you called your elderly parents this week?
Share this message with your friends and your church groups — let's remind the world to honor the elderly, care for our families, and live a faith that reflects Jesus, not selfishness.
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