Mark 12: 41-44

This morning, I had a Mark, chapter twelve moment....

As I went outside to pick up the newspaper, I saw an envelope under my door mat. When I opened it, I saw a handwritten note and a 5 dollar bill.  The note was simple, but said that this "fiver" was a gift from the cousin of one of my dear friends who wanted to help bring our son home.

So to set the context of this gift....

1. I don't know this cousin.
2. The gift was given without fanfare.
3. I had been praying last night for the Lord to provide a tremendous amount of money for the completion of our adoption.  I acknowledged that He had provided so much already, but that I was starting to worry because we are mere weeks away from travel.

As I opened that envelope, I was reminded of the woman in Mark chapter 12 who was giving two small coins to the church. All around her were wealthy individuals who were pouring great sums of money into the church coffers and, by comparison, she put in what would amount to a fraction of a penny!  A penny.  What followed, was one of the Bible's greatest lessons....  Jesus said,

"I tell you the truth, 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."

Christ was teaching us about giving sacrificially. He did not mean that the wealthy should not have given. He did not mean that their gifts (or in our case... the larger gifts we've received) were not meaningful or necessary.   But, He chose to honor this poor widow for giving until it hurt.

He knew, as so many of you know, that a $5 gift is HUGE!  That it can make a difference and it can touch a heart as it has done mine this morning.  I have often been embarrassed by the small gifts that I have been able to give to a worthy cause and have therefore not given.  I allowed my pride to keep me from blessing someone else.

Now it's true, that I do not know if this gift was given out of sacrifice or out of plenty.  But, what I do know is....

God used that $5 gift to:

1. Remind me of the blessings of giving what I can.
2. Answer my prayer for a sign that we were still on the right track and that He would provide the funds that we need to complete this work to which He has called us.

I am more confident than ever that God will do with that 5 dollar bill what only He can. He will use it to bring our son home from China to a family that loves him already more than is logical.  He will provide in ways that we can not.

A heartfelt thank you to our friend's cousin and to each of you who are walking this path with us.  Your prayers have sustained us and allowed us to keep moving ahead down a road fraught with obstacles and one where doubt comes so easily.  I hope that this woman's gift has touched your hearts as well today.

Blessings to you all,
Angie