Widow's Mite

Today in Relief Society we had an awesome lesson on Fasting. The spirit was so strong! It seems lately the spirit is not as strong in my life as it should be. It is my fault for not reading the scriptures as often as I did during my single years. Serving a mission is a dream now of uninterrupted spiritual feasts. Squeezing in 20 minutes of study and prayer should not be a problem here in Sidney since my days are not filled. Last week I made a concentrated effort to study and pray for 20-30 minutes while Amelia naps. My sacrifice: blogging and email. The feelings of the day were well worth the reduction of blogging.

While in Jerusalem my main purchase was a widow's mite, beveled into a necklace charm. I love the story in Luke, how the widow was surrounded by Jewish Elders paying exorbitant sums of tithing money. The widow dropped her two mite's into the tithing box and went on her way. Often I think of her. Was she fasting, what was she praying for, and what happened to her petitions? I am sure her small sacrifice was repaid 100 fold, maybe not in the ways she expected but she was praised by the Lord for her faith. I carry a mite like the one she paid to remind me that part of being a member of this church is to give our ALL, but to give it in secret. I'll never forget the pomp and circumstance of the different religions in Jerusalem, I can honestly imagine a wisp of a lady dressed in humble clothing paying her tithes completely unnoticed, surrounded by outward expressions of worship. I understand quite well now that the Lord expects quiet worship and service. What a perfect reminder on this Fast Sunday.

On another note: we spent the afternoon napping (Justin and Amelia), crocheting (me), and playing with Amelia. Justin played play dough "snakes" and "snowman," horsie, and coloring. It warmed my heart to watch them interact! Love it!!