The Season of Giving

Friday, December 4, 2015                                                        Luke 20:41-21:4              

Anna Grace Cole

What does it mean to give?  At this time of year, the true spirit of giving is oftentimes lost in all of the wrapping paper and ribbons.  There is great joy in watching family and friends open the presents in which you have invested your time and money. While it feels great seeing the faces of loved ones brighten at the sight of the perfect gift that you managed to get them, it is vital to think about how we give. As He does now, Jesus tries to warn his people of the ones that take pride in their possessions and giving. The author of Luke writes:

He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury; and he saw a poor widow put in two 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 the living that she had.” (Luke 21:1-4, NRSV)

Jesus stresses the importance of how it is not about the amount that is given, but the act of giving all that one can. The wealthy gave a nice sum of money, but compared to all that they had, it was only a mere portion of their earnings. The poor widow, however, gave literally all that she had. Even though it was much less, it was more in the eyes of God.

Last spring break, I volunteered to be part of a mission trip to the Dominican Republic with my school. On our first day working, we were given the opportunity to help deliver care packages to people in an underprivileged community known as Cielo. The care packages consisted of necessities such as rice, grain, and other ingredients to help households in the community feed their family. I walked around with some women of the community to deliver the packages to their neighbors’ homes, and the joyful shouts echoing off the homes of the skinny roads helped brighten up the cloudy day. These women were members of the same poverty-stricken community as the people on the receiving end of these packages; we even dropped some packages off at the homes of the women we were with. Although they had significant needs themselves, the women spent their time preparing and delivering the care packages for their neighbors and friends weekly. They did not have very much to share personally, but their willingness to give their time and spread their faith was remarkable.

Daily Challenge: Especially at this time of year, take a moment to appreciate everything that is being given, no matter how big or small, and examine how much we really give of ourselves.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father. We are so blessed. Please help us to discern how we can use those blessings to enrich the lives of those around us and give fully of ourselves, rather than providing only a portion of what we can. Be with us this holiday season as we try to remember the gifts that we have received and how we can really give to others. Amen.