“The money should be there!” Zeydan whispered as he scowled at the ATM screen. How could the balance already be close to zero?

He quickly took his card and walked out of the ATM booth, his mind was racing. How was he going to afford the monthly payment on his scooter? If he didn’t pay on time, he’d be fined—or worse, his scooter would be repossessed.

Money had always been tight in Zeydan’s family. But as a young man and a new follower of Jesus, he had resolved to do his best to get ahead. He was determined to beat the cycle of poverty.

Thanks to a community program started by a Frontiers team, Zeydan had learned about financial management, savings, and budgeting. He had thought carefully before buying a scooter on credit. He talked about it with Justin, the Frontiers worker who mentored him, and Justin had helped him come up with a plan to stay on track with monthly payments.

But somehow, the plan had fallen apart.

Maybe the ATM is wrong, Zeydan thought. Maybe his bank account wasn’t really empty.

He decided to try another ATM machine. And inside the booth, he found exactly what would fix his immediate problem.

Someone had left behind a stack of money, and it was more than enough for a month’s scooter payment. In fact, the amount would pay off his entire loan!

Zeydan considered taking the money without telling anyone.

Then he remembered what he was learning in his Bible studies. He knew that his relationship with God was more important than any sum of money or his scooter. Stashing another person’s money would put distance between him and God. He remembered how that distance felt before he started following Christ, and he didn’t want to go back to that.

So he reported the lost money to the bank. The owner was quickly found, and Zeydan was able to return the cash in person.

In the end, he sold his phone to make the payment on his scooter.

“I sold it with joy,” Zeydan confided to Justin, “because I knew that my heart was right with God. I need His peace more than I need a cell phone.”

• Praise God for how He’s shaping Zeydan into a man of integrity and a godly witness for Christ within his Muslim community.
• Thank the Lord for providing for Zeydan’s needs. (A friend who was unaware that Zeydan had sold his phone gave him one for free!)
• Ask God to give field workers continued wisdom, discernment, and humility as they help Muslim-background believers grow in Christ.

**This account comes from a long-term worker. Names and places have been changed for security.**

Original article: https://www.frontiersusa.org/blog/article/cash-and-scooters