by Arloa Sutter
Irving was on a mission. Though his mind was disabled by mental illness, he was convinced, if he lived frugally enough, he could amass enough wealth to erase the national debt. He ate all his meals at soup kitchens, picked up coins on the street, used recycled paper towels from our garbage and bought government bonds every month with his disability check.
One Thanksgiving, I invited Irving and other Breakthrough homeless service center guests to my home for dinner. I prepared a wonderful meal with all the holiday delights. I knew Irving was diabetic, so I bought a package of sugar-free ice cream sandwiches for him. At the end of the meal his eyes lit up as he savored what, for him, was a rare treat. At the end of the evening I gave him the remaining ice cream sandwiches to take home. He gratefully accepted.
The next day Irving was banging on my door. “Here, take these,” he growled as he handed over the ice cream, “they make me want to have them all the time.”
As I reflect on Irving’s ice cream I am inspired by his willingness to sacrifice his pleasure for a cause. However misguided he was in his mission; Irving was committed to it and willing to give up momentary pleasures to reach his goal. A few years later he became convinced that the best way to eradicate the national debt was to provide employment opportunities for the unemployed through the work of organizations like Breakthrough. When he died he left Breakthrough $500,000 to be used to provide employment services to the homeless and the mentally ill.
Irving’s ice cream has become a symbol for me. What am I willing to sacrifice to advance my life’s calling? What’s your mission? Is ice cream getting in the way?
Note: You can read more of Irving’s story in my book, The Invisble, in the 9th chapter on stewardship.
