A Good Steward

I'll tell you the story of Oseola McCarty. She died just a few years ago at the age of 91. She was an African-American woman from Mississippi, who earned a living by washing and ironing other people's clothes. McCarty, who never married, was in the 6th grade when she had to leave school and take over her mother's laundry business while she cared for a sick aunt. “All my classmates had gone off and left me so I didn't go back,” she said. “I just washed and ironed.” She never had a car. Only recently at the urging of bank personnel, did she buy a window air conditioner for her home. McCarty's arthritis forced her to retire in December of 1994 at the age of 86.

McCarty scrimped and saved, however, until she was able to leave $150,000 to the University of Southern Mississippi to set up scholarships for other needy African Americans. Contributions from more than 600 donors have added some $330,000 to the original scholarship fund of $150,000. After hearing of Miss McCarty's gift, Ted Turner, a multi-billionaire, gave away a billion dollars. He said, “If that little woman can give away everything she has, then I can give a billion.” Oseola just said, “I want to help somebody's child go to college.” “I can't do everything,” she said, “but I can do something to help somebody. I wish I could do more. But what I can do I will do." That's a good steward.

David Reynolds, A Good Steward