(Continued from my last blog, “Dirt Roads and Little Feet”.)
Let me share with you a story of a woman who showed me what this Hope looks like in real life.
A small group of us were out evangelizing in a village when we came to a one-room house with a tiny kitchen built off the side where a woman and her 4 young children lived. We piled in and sat down on the floor with her and asked her how we could pray for her. We listened intently as she shared with us how her husband frequently gave into rages of anger and how they had nothing left because he had burned everything – all of their clothes, all of the children’s things, their mattress, furniture…everything.
She believed in Jesus but obviously her husband did not and she was in a hard time. We could have shared any message with her, but in that moment we shared with her the story of Joseph and the importance of forgiveness and reminded her to praise God even in the middle of the craziest storm. We prayed and sang a worship song with her. As we were preparing to leave, she went into her kitchen, pulled a liver out of the oven, and brought it in the room we were in. She began to put piece by piece into the bag to give to us. On the inside I was hoping she would only put a few pieces in the bag and leave enough to feed her family, but we all silently watched as she gave us the whole things. Then she kneeled down on the floor and began to thank us saying that we were angels sent from Heaven to encourage her and that this was her offering to the Lord.
As she was doing this, a tiny crumb fell onto the floor and her toddler bent down to pick it up and put it in her mouth only to search for another crumb. Then another child ran in and searched for a crumb on the plate and quickly ate it and ran out. I could barely contain the dam behind my eyes from breaking as I understood the gravity of her offering. They had nothing, she and her children were clearly starving and it was likely this was their only meal for the day…yet, she chose to honor the Lord and give it as an offering to Him.
That. That is sacrifice. Having nothing but giving everything.
Mark 12:41-44 (Esp. vs 44)
And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor wido came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all he had to live on.”
Remembering this moment still brings tears to my eyes, even as I’m writing this.
Why? Why would this women who has so little choose to give everything away, even in the face of pain, brokenness, and need in her family? Why would she choose to still praise God and love Him with her sacrifice? Because she understands the Hope she has. That while we pray for God’s will to be done on earth and to intervene in her situation, and we don’t lose faith, even if she never sees it on this earth, she knows Jesus is coming back and one day we will live with Him in eternity where there is no more pain and no more tears, no more hunger and no more fear; just perfect love and peace and wholeness. That is the Hope she holds on to. That is the Hope that makes this life worth it. That is why we long for His return. That is why as Paul says, “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” (Corinthians 4:8-9)
**Three of my teammates are still in need of finances to finish the Race. Please check out their blogs and pray about supporting them! They are all incredible women. Thank you!
www.shannonpassaro.theworldrace.org
www.kellygriffin.theworldrace.org
www.mirandaparnell.theworldrace.org
