Monday Moment (On Thursday): The Three Purses

Jesus looked up and saw the rich

putting their gifts into the offering box,

and He saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins.

And He said, "Truly, I tell you,

this poor widow has put in more than all of them.

For they all contributed out of their abundance,

but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."

-Luke 21:1-4, ESV

I was making dinner last night when it happened. A Giving Lesson. I can't complain. I asked for it.

Remember the beginning of the year? The big resolution? Here it is, June. July almost. And on the six month anniversary of my little/big resolution, I found myself praying, "Lord, the year's half over. What have I done? Teach me to give, God. Teach me to give."

So the financial analysts say we're looking at a recession. Food is expensive. Housing is expensive. Gas is ridiculous. Here we are... trying to pay bills and stay afloat... and in the back of our minds, as Christians, we remember: I'm commanded to give. I'm entrusted with a responsibility to be a good steward of what I have.

It's strange how we view giving. Even as Christians. I don't know about you, but I view tithing and giving as two separate issues. Tithes aren't negotiable. But giving? I usually wait to give out of the abundance of what I have. And I'm not alone. I had an interesting conversation with my pastor some time ago about "recession".

"Wait. Churches have recessions, too?" I asked, laughing. "Surely God doesn't leave His checkbook at home."

"No," he said, seriously. "But we do. When a congregation falls on hard times, so does the church. The first check we stop writing is the one to God."

Ouch. Understandable, perhaps, but ouch.

I love Luke's retelling of Jesus at the temple. There He is - talking, maybe? Praying, perhaps? And He looks up to see a parade of people marching up to the collection plate. And then here she comes. A single woman - widowed - with two coins in her purse. All the money she has to live on. What do you suppose she was thinking as she opened her fist and watched that money fall into the collection box?

Three guesses what I'd be thinking. I'd be thinking: This is crazy. Irresponsible. I have bills to pay and a mouth to feed and no man at home to take care of me.

I'd also be thinking: Let the rich folks handle the giving. Money's nothing to them. How far will my pitiful offering go, anyway?

And then: Here's the thing, God. This is all I have. How about I catch You later, when I have a little cash to spare?

But no. If the woman... that poor, single woman... was thinking those things, we'll never know. We'll never know because she gave anyway. All of it. She gave it all. [And you know how we know those two copper coins were all she had? Because Jesus said so. He knew exactly how much money she had. He knew her finances down to the penny.] And her faith and faithfulness... more than her money, I suspect... touched the very heart of the One who'd provided for her in the first place.

What a legacy. What a testimony of a life lived beyond its means! What a picture of a woman who mattered. Not because she gave the most, but because she gave it all.

It served as a wake-up call to me. As I was sitting down to eat my dinner of potatoes and green beans, I shoved my purse aside. My purse. Then I prayed. How do I give, Lord? I asked.

You give in faith, He answered. You give what you have, and trust that I'm here watching, knowing your finances down to your last two pennies.

So did I write a check to my church, cleaning out my purse? No. But I decided to give up a few things over the next month in order to get money into the hands of people serving meals and helping rebuild a flooded and devastated Midwest. It's not much... it's not all... but maybe it's a start.

Samaritan's Purse is a Christian disaster relief organization

that provides food, medicine, shelter and assistance

to victims of natural disasters, war, disease and famine.

They need donations, volunteers and prayer.

If you can help, start by clicking here.