Christ said of the widow as she gave all that she had,
“…this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the
treasury…” In His remarks, he was not talking about the amount of money she put
in compared to the rich contributors but about the sincerity of her heart. She
truly gave of her heart, mind, and strength with her two mites and Christ knew
of desire to serve God in all that she did. In giving of all that she had, she
truly showed God that she loved Him more than anything money could buy.
In 2 Nephi 25:23 we are told that “…it is by grace that we
are saved, after all we can do.” When we give all that we have to Heavenly Father
and Christ, they will make up the rest. They will help us meet our need as we
give our own “two mites” in serving those around us and in our own tithes and
offering. When we dedicate all our heart, mind, and strength to building up the
Kingdom of God, Heavenly Father will help us meet the needs of our families and
open the windows of Heaven on our behalf.
I recently read a modern day account of the widow’s mite on
LDS.org in an article entitled, “The Muchacho’s Mite” by Natalie Ross. In the
story, Sister Ross talks about teaching a family while on her mission. While
teaching them, she and her companion became keenly aware of how financially
desperate this family was but their desire to learn that gospel was strong. They
hesitated to teach them about the law of tithing and fast offerings, wanting
the family to have a firm foundation of faith in Christ before they taught this
family who so desperately needed any amount of money they had. As the family
progressed and continued to read the Book of Mormon, they children began asking
questions.
One day, one of the sons asked about fasting. As the sisters
taught this family about the importance of fasting and all that it entails,
they prayed the family would accept this principal and its commandment. Later,
the son shared with them of his own testimony of fasting and paying an offering.
His mother had given him a small amount to buy candy. As he walked to the
store, he remembered the lessons and decided he wanted to try. His mother tried
to discourage him from paying because it was such a small amount. Despite her
attempts, the son fasted and paid the money he was given for candy as his
offering. A few weeks later, this young man and two of his siblings were
baptized. His parent joined the church a year later.
When we give all that we have, we truly are blessed. Sometimes
giving all isn't about money; it may be our time and talents. Sometimes it’s in
a calling or an assignment we have been asked to fulfill that we think may be
beyond our abilities. As we dedicate our might, mind, and strength to the
assignment, we will find Heavenly Father giving us what we feel we lack. I felt
this very strength as I served many years ago as a young woman’s president. I
never saw myself in that type of leadership position. I could name numerous
other women who, to me, we much more spiritually grounded for such a role in
this group of young women’s lives. I could not see myself for what Heavenly
Father needed me to be when I was first called. As the months turned into years
and I learned to rely on His strength as I did all that I could do, I saw
blessings that will forever touch my heart in the ways Heavenly Father made my
best efforts even better.
I know that Heavenly Father sees our heart and knows our
intent. As we give all that we have, it is not about the amount we give but
about sincerity of our offering. When we give as the widow, we too will feel of
God’s love for us.
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