Pastor Mike Nodland of the Christian Fellowship Church in Vining, IA.

Being an impatient kid, my mother often said, “Mike, keep your shirt on!” This didn’t compel me to wait, but it gave me an idea about gifts for my uncle, Archie.

At Christmastime and birthdays, I started buying him gifts of dress shirts, because I didn’t know what to get him! He was a saver, and saved those shirts in his dresser drawer, unwrap, still tagged, and neatly stowed away.

Having experienced the Great Depression and losing the potential century-old farm, he regained it back. That hard lesson compelled him to save even more!

Years rolled by and he retired from farming and began wearing those dress shirts. Entering the nursing home, he had one dress shirt left, but in pristine condition. The caregivers sewed his name into his shirt collar, and he continued to keep it in perfect shape.

After his passing, I was given this perfectly kept shirt with Archie’s name sewn into the collar, reminding me of my uncle when I wear it. But he entered eternal life losing more than his shirt: farmer Archie lost his soul.

He didn’t know Jesus as Savior. His shirt was preserved, but his soul was lost. Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Stop, wait! Keep your shirt on. Trust Him today!