Little is much when God is in it!

41 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” Mark 12:41-44

This is the story of The Widow's Offering. I have read it several times but today I want to concentrate on a few words in the 44th verse. "but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on." I figured out what she gave and in today's time she would have given about $1.86. Not much is it? Well Jesus thought it was something.

God showed out today in my life, he taught me a lesson, one that I have to lay my Pride down and tell you about. I have been in places of abundance in my life and I have given "large" (in my world anything over $100 is large...lol. We are rich people but just not as far as the bank is concerned!) amounts to causes that God has laid on my heart. I have to admit it hasn't really made that much of a difference...didn't mean that much...didn't cost me alot...I still had plenty. But these days things are different. Because of my 2 surgeries in the last 4 months and because I am out of work on Short Term Disability and because Christmas was last month, and because our tax return is going to be non-existent this year...well we just don't have a lot of money to give these days. Don't get me wrong, God has supplied every need. We have food to eat, gas in our cars, money for things the kids need, we just don't have a lot of money left over at the end of the month...or at the end of the week some weeks. But that is fine. God taught me a long time ago to be satisfied with little or with much. Sometimes my sweet husband gets a little miffed that I don't worry about finances but I just can't worry. God has taken care of me time and time again. I can't help but trust Him! Anyway like I said right now is NOT a time when we have a lot of money to give but today God gave us a chance not once but twice to give out of our "need" (I use that word in quotations because the situation I am in is NOT poverty as the verse says, to most of the world they would consider themselves rich to have the exact same resources as I have...it is just a place of need compared to where we have been when I was healthy and working 40 hours a week.)

I am not going to tell you how he let us give because I think it's better not to let the left hand know what the right hand is doing but God worked things out so that we were able to give abundantly even when we did not have an abundance of money.

In one situation I was aware of the need and I longed to help. It was for a great cause and my heart just "gets" the people I wanted to give to. I was on my way to the doctor today and I was telling my husband I want to help them. I want to give I wish we had it to give. By the time I got home God had shown me a way to give and as I write this post that family has benefited from what God gave me to do. God's word is true and when we make the desires of our heart line up with His will He will make those desires come to pass! I just can't stop praising Him! Thank You God for being able to use nothing and turn it into something!! Remember LITTLE IS MUCH WHEN GOD IS IN IT!

In Christ Alone,

Sherri

P.S. I want to say one more thing...God showed me last night that I had a bit of an addiction to my IP*d touch and to my Fac*book account, He convicted me and I decided to fast from both for 24 hours. I truly believe that I would have missed both of my chances if I had my focus on that IP*d and Fac*book all day. I am not saying that using those things are a sin, I am just saying sometimes we need to see how much time we are spending on that stuff compared to how much time we are spending in God's word and ministering to His people. I am going to make sure that I keep my time in check. I don't want to be addicted to anything except Christ, His Word, His People, and His Presence! Just thought someone else might need to hear that as well! God Bless!!