Giving It All

My six year old adores his Aunt Tawn.  She came to spend Mother's Day weekend with us as it was the first one she and my husband spent without their mom.  We had a pretty quiet weekend and just spent time hanging out doing our usual things.  Over dinner, my husband commented that it was too bad his sister could not stay another day.  Little did I know, my little one was paying attention.

 After we got home, he brought all the change from his little piggy bank and said, "Aunt Tawn, this is so you can change your flight."  He gave everything he had to her.  That act of unselfishness made my Mother's Day complete.  To know that my little one has a heart filled with compassion and love is all I need.

 My son's act of love reminded me of the widow in Luke 21:1-4.

"As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins.  “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others.  All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”  (NIV)

Unfortunately we don't know much about the widow.  Was she young or old?  Were her children grown or tugging on her apron?  Did she have any family to rely on?  There are many questions we can ask about this passage, but the most important thing is that she gave everything to God.  Her monetary worth was equal to a penny in our world today, and she gave it willingly.  How many of us could actually give everything up?  The world the widow lived in is quite different than our world today, and giving up every penny we have is pretty unrealistic.  But what other things can we give up wholeheartedly in the name of Christ?  The most important gift I have to give, material possessions aside, is my heart.  The love that I am capable of sharing is what God intended.  It's not to be kept to ourselves, but to be shared with others.

 How is your heart?  Have you let anyone in lately?

 Today I Am Thankful For:

1.  Airplanes

2.  A big, home-cooked breakfast

3.  Cotton balls

4.  Ear drops

5.  Loose change