The Gift in Her Hands
Matthew 10:8 — “Freely you have received; freely give.”

In a bustling market in Enugu, Mama Chika was known for two things — her delicious bean cakes and her generous heart. Every morning, she would fry akara before sunrise, the aroma calling both the rich and the poor.

But business had been rough lately. Prices of oil and beans had risen, and her profits had shrunk. One afternoon, as she counted her remaining coins, a barefoot boy approached her stall. His eyes lingered on the frying pan.

“Mama, please… I’m hungry,” he whispered.

Mama Chika sighed. She had just enough beans left to make a small batch for herself and her daughter. For a moment, she hesitated — then she remembered the pastor’s words from Sunday:
“Freely you have received; freely give.”

Without another thought, she scooped two hot akara balls into a leaf and handed them to the boy. “Eat, my son. God will provide.”
The boy’s face lit up like morning light. “Thank you, Mama!” he said, running off joyfully.

Later that day, a woman stopped by her stall — a stranger in fine clothes. “My car broke down nearby,” she said. “Your akara smells heavenly. Can I have some?”

Mama Chika served her, and the woman took a bite, eyes widening. “This is the best I’ve tasted in years! I run a small café — would you like to supply us daily?”

Tears filled Mama Chika’s eyes. Her kindness had come full circle.
From that day, her business flourished — not because she gave to get, but because she gave from a full heart.

She often told her daughter, “The hands that give never run empty. What God gives freely, we must never hold too tightly.”