“Do You Know Why I’m Returning Your Money?”

‘OH, HOW I need money!’ thought Nana, a single mother of three boys living in Kaspi in the Republic of Georgia. One morning her dream of finding some came true. She found 300 lari next to the police station. There was no one around. It was quite a large sum of money. In fact, Nana had not seen a 100 lari bill in the five years since lari became the national currency. Local merchants would not earn that much after working for several years.

‘What do I need this money for if I will lose my faith, godly fear, and spirituality?’ Nana thought. She had cultivated such Christian qualities, even enduring harsh persecution and beatings for her belief.

Upon going to the police station, Nana saw five officers desperately looking for something. She realized that they were looking for the money, so she approached them and said: “Did you lose something?”

“Money,” they answered.

“How much?”

“Three hundred lari!”

“I found your money,” Nana said. Then she asked: “Do you know why I’m returning your money?” They did not.

“Because I am one of Jehovah’s Witnesses,” she continued. “If I were not, I would not have returned your money.”

The police chief who lost the money gave Nana 20 lari in appreciation for her honest conduct.

The story quickly spread throughout the Kaspi district. The following day, a cleaning lady who came out of the police station said to Nana: “[The chief] always keeps your literature in his office. Now he will probably appreciate it even more.” One police officer even said: “If all people were Jehovah’s Witnesses, who would commit crimes?”