“Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. Many who were rich put in much. Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which makes a quadrans. So He called His disciples to himself and said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury, for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.’” Mark 12:41-44 NKJV
Everything was in place. Each author had his or her own table, their books displayed with props, book marks and business cards attractively arranged. Refreshments adorned a center table; coffee, teas, and hot chocolate along with cookies, cupcakes, candies and fudge were ready to tempt the passers-by. Baskets to be raffled covered another table, and a poster with the information about our charity hung on the wall above it, pictures of the homeowners who’d lost everything displayed with the volunteers helping them to rebuild giving testimony to the incredible work being done.
Weeks of hard work – press releases sent out, posters hung in coffee shops, area stores and on community bulletin boards, easels on the sidewalks pointing the way. Baskets assembled, goodies baked, posters created, invitations sent out – a good turnout to raise money for our needy friends was expected as we opened the doors to admit the first arrivals.
At the end of the day, as we laughed and enjoyed the refreshments, we counted the donations. Only nine people had come through that day. Only twenty-five dollars had been donated. “Well, it certainly wasn’t for a lack of trying,” one of my friends said after we’d surveyed the results. They were right. We’d done all that we could.
“How in the world can I send a check for only twenty-five dollars?” I asked my husband on our way home. “What will I put in the note? ‘Hey! We all banded together to raise funds for your organization. With this, you might be able to buy a box of screws!’” I shook my head and stared out the window at the scenery passing by. “I had hoped and prayed for so much more.”
Eric reached over and squeezed my hand. “Honey, there isn’t much more you could have done. The people just weren’t coming through.” I nodded my understanding and resumed my stare out the window. “God, how am I going to do this? What possible use could twenty-five dollars be when they need so much more?” I prayed silently as we made our way home.
Later when I was reading my Bible, my attention was drawn to the scripture about the widow and her two mites. I read the words but didn’t feel much of an impact. “Lord, I don’t feel like the donations from the event fall into the same category. Do they? How could they?” The gentle voice within replied, “You and the others in your group gave everything of themselves to make the fundraiser happen. You worked hard. You put in all that you had. So, yes, it does fall into the same category. Don’t judge the success by what you see in the donation jar. How do you know what others may send directly because you made them aware of the need? Just do what you can and leave the rest to Me.” With those words, I re-read the scripture and was able to hear God’s voice.
Filling out the check and writing the accompanying note still wasn’t easy, but the Lord’s reassurance gave me peace. I knew that I’d done all that I could. I knew that I’d given everything in myself to make it happen. Knowing that the Lord was pleased with our efforts, however small they seem, is enough.
