Offering

Since I, myself, have had my Christmas tree up since November 5^th, I suppose I’m not really one to talk, but for the majority of you, I imagine you are officially running around, bustling and preparing yourselves for the impending Christmas holiday.  For so many, these four weeks leading up to December 25^th can stir up all sorts of unwanted emotions, such as stress, anxiety, and full-on panic.  Family get-togethers may be the very last thing you want to take part in, for all their awkwardness and discomfort.  The lines at the stores can be overwhelming and downright frustrating (price-check on isle 2!) and last but not least, the financial pressure of relinquishing that credit card with each purchase can place such a weight on your shoulders that it’ll take six months just to work it all off. 

It’s no wonder people breathe a gigantic sigh of relief on December 26^th.

About a week back, the Gospel reading for the day broke open my heart to allow some much-needed light to filter in.  If you look up the bible verses online, they’re titled, The Widow’s Offering.  In a nutshell, it tells the brief story of people who are willing to give of what they have.  The wealthy give of their many gifts, yes, but this poor widow, who has practically nothing, also gives of her gifts.  Jesus recognizes this offering, and then most notably, he recognizes the difference. 

Do we give from a spirit of wealth, or do we give from a spirit of poverty?  Do we give from our pocket-book, or do we give from our hearts?  Where is the true sacrifice? 

Tell me, is it more difficult to sacrifice our money, or sacrifice our love?

I was having a conversation one day with someone regarding the practice of abstaining from eating meat on Friday’s during Lent.  He made the very valid point that if you thoroughly enjoy eating seafood and so on those particular Friday’s, you go out to Red Lobster and gorge yourself on all things covered in butter and deliciousness, that’s not really a sacrifice, is it?  The point, the true intention, has been overlooked. 

Where will your spirit of giving, of sacrifice, emanate from this holiday season? In a world where more seems to be the end-goal, how can we set aside our stresses to achieve our true intention? 

Our heart’s offering?