Exactly Fifty Dollars

The Bravards, a family with eight children who lived in our ward in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, were going to the Washington Temple to see their oldest daughter married for time and eternity. On a fast Sunday just before they were to leave, Brother Bravard bore his testimony and described how he’d worked odd jobs after his regular work to earn enough money to take his whole family to Washington, D.C. As he spoke, I sensed the deep love he had for his family.

About three days before the Bravard family was to leave for the temple, I was taking my usual walk through the woods near our home when a quiet impression came into my mind: Brother Bravard needs fifty dollars. I was puzzled. He had just told us in testimony meeting that he had saved enough to make the trip. As I stood there wondering about it, the message came again.

When my husband came home from work that day, I said, “Brother Bravard needs some money.” Then I told him about my experience.

My husband replied, “He just told us on Sunday that he has enough.”

“But I’m sure the Bravards need money,” I insisted.

“Well,” he said, relenting, “go ahead and send him twenty-five dollars.”

“The Lord said fifty.”

My husband just looked at me and grinned. I wrote the check and ran down to the post office to mail it quickly so Brother Bravard would have it the next day.

Late the following day my phone rang. I recognized the emotional voice as that of Brother Bravard. The brakes on his car had gone out, he said, and he’d had to spend fifty dollars from his precious temple money to repair them. Without the money I’d sent, he said, he would not have been able to see his daughter married.

In that moment we shared a special testimony of our Father in Heaven’s great love for each of his children.