The widow and the offering

 

A couple days ago, one of my friends sent me this quote on instagram that Shelley Giglo had posted. It read, “Let’s not waste the faith we have spent our whole lives building during this season of unknowns. It is for this very season that it was built.”  I was reminded of that quote today when I read a story in Mark about a widow, and her offering in the church. If you don't know what story I'm referring to (because frankly before today I had never heard it before either), it goes like this…  Basically Jesus and the disciples were sitting where the people of the church placed their offerings. They watched as many people came and dropped in what they had.. Rich people put in large amounts, middle class people put in pretty decent money, and all of the betweens… But it wasn't until a widow came by the offering box that Jesus’ attention was caught… This widow walked up in front of the people of the church and placed “two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents” (12:42). Jesus immediately gets the attention of His disciples and says, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything- all she had to live on.” (v.43) I'll be honest, Lately I have felt like nothing more than a poor widow, and If you're a senior in high school reading this, I bet you have too. Since last weekend, I have been mourning the loss of my senior year, just listing the things in my head that I no longer have… No last day of school, no state championship, no more parking lot hangouts, no more high school softball, no more seeing my grade all together; no more highschool... Leaving me to feel just as a poor widow, mourning my life and feeling left with nothing.  The moment I heard that senior year was officially cancelled, along with softball season. I took a big step back. I prayed to God every once in a while, telling Him that I trusted Him, but yet I didn't want to spend time with Him because I was angry He chose my grade. I would post on instagram that He has a plan, and that I trust it, but I never went to Him in prayer and told Him that. I texted with my friends saying that I could see God moving but truthfully I couldn't even see past my bitterness.  See, because before the pandemic I was rich. I had my friends with me everyday at school, I had softball games twice a week, practice everyday after school, I could go to the gym whenever I wanted, I could get my nails done, go to the mall to shop, go sit at a restaurant once a week with my girlfriends to eat dinner, go to the beach, run up and give a hug to someone, and all the other normalities of life...  If prayer time, and bible study were an “offering box”, I was giving everyday, all the time. Infact, just as the rich members of the church in the story, I was “giving out of my wealth”.  But as soon as those things were taken away from me, I quickly abandoned my offerings… I no longer had wealth, I was no longer what I believed to be “rich” in life, but instead just a poor widow.  And as I read this story today, I thought of that quote, and asked myself, why would you abandon your faith when times get hard? What is the point of faith if you can't have it during times like these? These are the times we are called too. We are meant to walk in front of God and  say, “It's not much, but this is what I have. These are my two copper coins. And you can have them. I may not be happy with my circumstances, but I trust that the joy of the lord is my strength.”  Notice how in the story it doesn't say that the widow, “out of her poverty, put in some- almost all she had to live on.” No, instead Jesus says that “she, out of her poverty, put in EVERYTHING- ALL she had to live on.” Right now you might feel that you don't have a lot to live on. Whether you aren't going to school, a job, or your routine of life is just messed up…  I want you to remember that God could care less about the amount of joy that you have to offer, or that your list of things that you are thankful for isn’t as long as normal. All He cares about is that right now, when you have nothing, and feel defeated, that you walk in front of that church, right up to the offering box, and you give EVERYTHING that you have. Even if that is just two, small, copper coins. Because see to the church those two coins were only worth a few cents, But to Jesus, they were worth everything.   During these times it's hard to find the joy. It's hard to solely trust in the Lord.  But don't abandon your faith now. Don't lose your trust in Him. Keep fighting the good fight. For these are the times we are meant to have faith in the first place.