Lesson Learned

Jesus used parables to teach, and one such story actually came into play at our house recently. 

Do you remember the parable of the talants (from Matthew 25)?  A man was going on a journey, so he gave each of his servants some talents of money to take care of for him.  He gave one servant five talants, another servant two talents, and the last servant got one talent.  Then the man went on his journey.

While he was gone, the servants with the five and two talents put the money to work and doubled what they were originally given.  But the third servant only hid the money and so he didn't gain anything.  When the man came back from his long journey and went to settle up with the servants, he was pleased with the first two, because they doubled his money.  But the third servant was scolded, the talent taken away from him and given to the first servant, and he was cast out, because he did nothing but bury the money for safe keeping.

So, what does this have to do with my family? Late last week, we got a bank statement in the mail.  Megan has a savings account in South Dakota, at the credit union on Ellsworth Air Force Base.  She's had that account since she was a baby, and there's not a ton of money in it, but we have left it there knowing that at some point, it will come in handy.  She has an account here, too, and we have talked about transferring the money from the South Dakota account, but never have done it.  We just didn't bother, because we knew it was in the bank, earning interest.

Until now. 

Here's the part of the parable that applies:  "Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest." (Matthew 25:27).

Every so often we get bank statements, and it shows the interest earned on Megan's account.  This time, there was no interest added.  So I looked for an explanation, and down at the bottom of the page, there was a note from the bank, saying the account is now "dormant".  Apparently after a certain amount of time with no deposit, the bank has decided it can keep and use Megan's money for free.  I don't think so!

We will be making a trip to the bank here to set up the transfer.  In doing so, we will be taking the talent away from the servant who only hid it in the ground, and will give it to the servant who will put it to work and make more money.  How annoying, and bold, that a bank will do what they've done. I know they don't have Megan's money set aside gathering dust.  They are using it, and making money off of it, and not passing Megan's share of that profit on to her.  They are stealing from her! 

Even though I know Jesus wasn't really talking about money with the Parable of the Talents, that's exactly how it applies here. 

Lesson learned!