Giving when you have nothing.

"for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.” (Luke 21:4)

Rice.  To some people it's like gold to other people, they hardly notice it's existence.  I just received a bag of about 2kilos of rice this morning as a gift of appreciation. Wow!  This may not sound amazing, but it is.  It's a gift of the heart and it represents so much more!

The generosity of the "poor" never ceases to amaze and humble me!  They are so giving, not because they have endless resources or live in abundance, but rather because it is an expression of their heart.  They are truly rich in spirit.  They give, not really of the physical, but rather of the not-so-tangible, expression of the heart.  

It's challenging, no?  Maybe it's my "cultural background" that gives me an edge of stinginess, or maybe it's really that my heart isn't always in the right place, therefore there is no expression of really giving myself completely and freely.  

After all, what is a bag of rice?  To someone it's their whole day of food.  Oh, maybe they'll add a couple little dried fish or some soup, but really rice (disregarding nutrition at this point) makes up the majority of a meal.  it's really giving a lot.  The rice that was given to me will require her to buy more rice for her family.  Ponder that a while.  It's quite significant and it reminds me of another gift that is given freely. Jesus.