Focus on the Family Commentary
Oct 15, 2026 · 2 min · 2 segments
We think one look is all it takes to understand another person. Jim Daly shares a story that illustrates why to fully know someone, we must get beneath the surface…
Jim DalyHost
There's a Scottish proverb that says, "Be not surprised when a rich heart is found under a poor coat." That was certainly true of Ronald Read, a man who passed away in 2014 and left behind a secret that stunned everyone who knew him.
After working 25 years as a gas station mechanic, Ronald retired and spent 17 years as a part-time janitor.
His lifestyle was so unassuming that a stranger once paid for his breakfast at a local diner thinking Ronald couldn't afford it.
What no one knew until after Ronald died was that frugal living and sound investing had allowed him to amass personal wealth of nearly $8 million.
From there, he turned his meager $45,000 a year income into a fortune, most of which he later donated to local organizations, hospitals, and libraries.
People thought they had Ronald Read all figured out because he pushed a broom and wore a custodian's outfit.
The truth is, only when we get beneath the surface and know a person's deeper story can we see them for who they really are.
There's a Scottish proverb that says, "Be not surprised when a rich heart is found under a poor coat." That was certainly true of Ronald Read, a man who passed away in 2014 and left behind a secret that stunned everyone who knew him.
After working 25 years as a gas station mechanic, Ronald retired and spent 17 years as a part-time janitor.
His lifestyle was so unassuming that a stranger once paid for his breakfast at a local diner thinking Ronald couldn't afford it.
What no one knew until after Ronald died was that frugal living and sound investing had allowed him to amass personal wealth of nearly $8 million.
From there, he turned his meager $45,000 a year income into a fortune, most of which he later donated to local organizations, hospitals, and libraries.
People thought they had Ronald Read all figured out because he pushed a broom and wore a custodian's outfit.
The truth is, only when we get beneath the surface and know a person's deeper story can we see them for who they really are.
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