Offerings and Handkerchiefs

On our way home from church Sunday, Kate told me the next time she goes to church with us, she needs an offering. I was glad she wanted to give an offering, but I have noticed they don't seem to take up offerings as they did when I was a child.

I remember in Sunday School, we filled out a little card each week which had a list of things to check off. Did you study your lesson, read your Bible, bring your offering, bring your Bible to church, are you staying for church following Sunday School? I don't remember all on the list, but the points for each added up to 100%. Almost every Sunday, I did all these things with the exception of staying for church because we usually only attended Sunday School. Faithfully, I brought my Bible, studied my lesson, had an offering, etc. But staying for church was worth 20 points and so on occasion when we did stay, I had 100%, but unfortunately, most Sundays I only ever managed to get 80%.

Very thankful that isn't done anymore. It always brought shame to me that I couldn't make 100% and I think studying your lesson, reading the Bible and giving an offering should have been worth more points.

But I digress. Her question reminded me of how we would bring our offering knotted up in the corner of a dainty handkerchief, or hankie as we called them.

My Dad AWAYS had a handkerchief in his pocket and one of my chores was to iron them. They were easy to iron, as were pillow cases. A box of delicate handkerchiefs were a good gift for giving on birthdays and Christmas. Although I always had little hankies, I never used them for anything other than carrying my offering to church. Heaven forbid I would ever blow my nose on one of those sweet things. (I never was one to blow my nose in public anyway.) I had a boss who took his handkerchief out often to blow his nose, and Rhett Butler always had one ready for Scarlett when she had a blubbering fit. Women waved their hankies in church, and men wiped the sweat off their brow with them. They came in handy for wiping your eyeglasses or cleaning up small messes, I guess. I'm sure there are many more uses for handkerchiefs, but no one seems to carry them anymore. I can understand that tissues are much more sanitary these days, but really, what about all those other possibilities? Just one more of those mysterious things in life to ponder.