Sunday, January 1, 2012

Two Coins

This morning I really focused on the story from Mark 12: 42-44. This is the story of the widow who gave her 2 coins into the offering bucket. She gave it to the Lord even though it was all she had in terms of money. This is not going to be a blog entry about giving or tithing. I simply want to share what I learned through really thinking about this Bible story for myself, and what I feel God revealed to me.

Mark 12: 42-44
But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, 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."

These verses, and what the widow did really made me think about what I have to give that is everything that I have. I asked myself, what is ALL that I have to give that would make a difference. Sure I can give my tithe, but what else is EVERYTHING? This widow gave all she had, what is my "all that I have"? What the widow gave was really BIG for her because she was stepping out in faith. She gave all that she had knowing God would continue to take care of her, and she was at total peace with that.

So, what is ALL THAT I HAVE? I have my life, the life I have been given. I have my every single second, minute, hour, day, week, and year until the day I die. (then I have eternity too). Why is that important? Because I have not been living that way. Sure Ty and I adopted some kids. We chose to sacrifice some conveniences for that....big deal! I don't always do it well though! I wine about certain circumstances, I get mad when things don't go the way I think they should, I dwell on dissapointments too long, and I have been REALLY struggling with one of my kids.

When I live with the perspective that I am giving God all that I have, my every second of every day then my attitude changes. HE changes me. I realize that everything that I have, and all that I am, is His. My every second belongs to Him, and everything I have belongs to Him. What this means to me is that I live in His house, all of the money we make is His, all of my children are His... How does that change me? Well, then I  know I am always doing what He wants me to do, always living where He wants me to live, and it changes the way I deal with all that comes my way. All of a sudden I don't care about my unfinished house, I become a better steward of what He provides for me to use, and I treat my child that makes decisions that drive me insane the way God intended for me to treat and love him/her.  I also walk into my classroom every single day to be the teacher God intended me to be to those kids. I desire to be all that I can be for my family and my students on a different level. I no longer wish I could do things better, I do it the way He wants me to. I guess this points me back to what I felt earlier this week when I awoke in the early morning and thought nothing but "die to myself, to my own ways".

Ultimately I feel so much more at peace about life, about my days, about tomorrow, about the next second of my life. I can rest knowing I am giving Him my everything, all that I have. And, I also feel more at peace knowing I can do all that He has for me to do when it's not my own strength and resources I have access to, it is all His!

What are your 2 coins?

No comments: