Happiness Reflection Guide – October 11, 2019
Friday
Read: Luke 21:1-4
1″ As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3 “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” (NIV Luke 21:1-4)
Study: Back in 1980, there was a fundraiser in New York City to refurbish and restore the Statue of Liberty. While many people gave large amounts of dollars, perhaps the most touching gift came from 78 homeless Vietnamese refugees, living in a camp in Thailand. They passed the hat and came up with $114.19. These were people who had lost everything but hope. They were willing to give what little they had for that symbol of liberty. I doubt that any of us, myself included, has ever come close to giving what these refugees or this poor widow in Luke gave. People sometimes say, “I’ll give my mite,” but they completely miss the point. We have not given our “mite” until we are down to our last dollar, and we give it. So in looking at this incident, most of us are standing near sea level looking up at this woman or these refugees on Mount Everest. While we may never get there ourselves, we can learn much from them that will help us please God with our giving
Prayer: I have been given much, Lord. I give it all to you. Like the woman in Luke, all I have is yours. Amen