I wobbled into the temple, and as I entered, I saw the most wealthy and influential men of the city placing large baskets of gifts in the treasury. The sound of the showering coins as they were placed before the altar shook my heart. My hand instintively reached for the two small coins in my pocket. So small, they didn’t jingle together. What difference would these make? Without my husband, these two coins would be all I had to sustain me. I knew God would provide for me; He always had. My heart pushed me forward because the love and gratitude I had to my Lord. As I dropped the small tokens in the treasury, I prayed quietly: My Lord, I’m trusting you. This is all I have, but you can have it all.
This is the woman Jesus was referring to in Luke 21. Her story spoke to me this month. I brought a guitar on the race knowing only a few chords. Month 1 in India, I became okay at one song. In Nepal, I pulled out my guitar once. At the end of the month, I was told I would be leading worship for the whole squad we we came together at the end of Vietnam. So, I practiced in my free time and played for my team while we were in Vietnam.
I woke up this morning, and my heart started fluttering. I was leading worship for all fifty-five people on my squad this morning. I hid in the stairwell while tuning my guitar nervously. Before I knew it, one hundred eyes were resting on me sitting in the middle of the room.
I started to play as my breath caught. I started singing and the other voices in the room joined in. Missed a chord change, and everyone kept singing. I heard my teammates worshipping behind me and kept going. Halfway through, I was amazed at the privilege of being able to express love to God with one united voice. I was able to worship with them and it was the sweetest of moments.
In a dingy, narrow hostel bedroom lit by three light bulbs and housing half my squad, I found myself giving what I had to the Lord and whispering, God this worship with awkward chord changes and changing strumming patterns is all I have, but I give it all to you.
