When Nicholas was a young man, his parents died, and left him a large fortune, and he made it his business to give it away. Not all at once in one big lump, but in his own way.
He would ride through town in the night throwing a little bag of gold pieces through a window or a doorway. For years Nicholas did this, seeking out those who had the most need; a father who needed money, a farmer who needed a new ox, a widow who needed food for her children. He would see to it that they got the gold to take care of their needs.
Nicholas gave presents to children that weren’t really needed, but it made their eyes sparkle with joy, and their feet jump up and down. He gave them fruits and nuts and clothing and candy.
When all of the money was given away, Nicholas said, “Now I can become a priest, and give away more than money.”
The first thing Nicholas did once he became a priest was to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and had to do this by boat. On the 2nd day out, when he was still trying not to be sea sick, a ferocious storm grabbed the boat and tossed it about on the waves like an empty cracker box. The old captain, who had weathered many storms, had never seen a tempest such as this. He and the crew grabbed onto anything fastened down and held on for dear life. Nicholas knelt down on the tilting deck, raised his eyes to heaven, and prayed that all would be saved.
“I’ve only just begun Lord, and I have so much to do!” Nicholas prayed. The captain yelled above the roar of the wind, “What good are prayers now? Don’t waste your breath; I’m going to tie you to the mast before you are swept over… just then the waves stopped churning and the sun began to shine so brightly that it made rainbows in the drops of water everywhere. I said, “You see, nothing is ever past praying for.”