The Story of my Minnie Mouse Bag

I love bags! I am a "bag person" or I should say bags are my best friends. I consider them a travel companion. In this blog, I will share with you the story of my Minnie Mouse Bag. It is my most special one. 

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After my graduation from BYU-Hawaii, I had the chance to do my internship at Disneyland in California. This was the last requirement for the completion of my degree. It was an unexpected adventure for me as I was hoping to do my internship in the Philippines with the Department of Tourism. I was chosen to participate in the Disney College Program. My internship lasted for about 6 months. We were required to attend classes conducted by Disney Company and to work at the same time. I got hired in one of the restaurants there as a cashier. 

My internship was a blast! I stayed at Carnegie Housing in Anaheim where all the other participants (or DCP's) lived while in the program. I met a lot of friends including members of the LDS church. I also met a lot Filipinos there. Some of them were my co-workers! They have 3-4 jobs in order to sustain their daily needs. I did my very best to remain active in the church even though our schedule demanded us to work 24/7. The cost of living in California is very expensive. My budget was tight most of the time.  I survived each day through the tender mercies of the Lord. 

 When I was about to finish my internship, I planned to buy something for myself as a token or a remembrance of this beautiful memory and place. Yes! I wanted a bag. But I had to make a choice. My money was just enough to pay for all my bills including the 10% for the Lord. I was at church. It was my last Sunday in California. Should I pay my tithes or buy myself a bag? 

I did rationalize that the latter choice was fine. I told myself that the bag would be a personal reward for my hard work. I went home to my apartment with an empty wallet. I trusted the Lord.

There is no any tangible souvenir that is more valuable than the lessons I learned while I was there. 

On my last day at work, I served a Filipina guest while cashiering. She was very nice! She offered to buy me a lunch.  She told me that she's having a bad day and asked if I could accompany her at the stores after my shift. I replied "yes" right away since I didn't have any plans for that day. 

I spent the whole night with her and her family. They became an instant family to me. I assisted her in every way I could. Finally, before we parted ways, she asked me to choose one thing from the store as a gift. She told me to get a bag. 

Life is full of surprises. We have many hopes and dreams. The key to achieve them is to put God first in our lives. When we seek His counsels, and include Him in our plans, His ways are always better than ours because He doesn't see only the present, but He sees the past and the future all at the same time. When I wanted a bag, it would have been a nice one if I did it my own way. But God gave me something more than what I could afford. He always gives us what we deserve. 

Most of the time, more than what we deserve. 

My Minnie Mouse bag is my "Tithing" bag. I gained a stronger testimony of the Lord's law of Finance. Our tithings help in the building of His kingdom on earth. When we give what is for the Lord, our hands are open ready to catch the choicest blessings He pours. I thank God for this remarkable lesson He taught me. 

Love,

It's Nyles. xoxo