All That She Had

Jesus is a people watcher
 
If His mortality were today, He’d probably spend time on park benches or at airport terminals. 
 
Back then He watched the treasury. 
 
And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.
 
And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
 
Jesus watched her.
 
And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:
 
Jesus noticed her.
 
For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living. (Mark 12:41-44)
 
Jesus loved her.
 
And now we remember her.
 
All that she had.
 
Hank gave me two rocks,  
 
two dandelions, 
 
and a necklace made of fruit loops and white yarn.
 
I smiled so big it made my cheeks hurt.
 
It was all that He had.
 
The two rocks sit in my nightstand drawer.
 
A picture of the two dandelions in a small jar of water hangs in my office.
 
I wore the fruit loop necklace all day.
 
With each compliment I proudly shared,
 
“Hank made this for me”.
 
These things are beautiful.
 
And I’ll always remember them.
 
Because Hank gives all that he has.
 
And his goodness is tangible.
 
In the rocks.
 
The dandelions.
 
The fruit loops.
 
All that he had.
 
Sometimes at the end of the day, I am tired. 
 
I find comfort in the people-watcher, Jesus.
 
He watches.
 
Notices.
 
Loves.
 
Remembers.
 
The dishes and the texts. 
 
The “I love you’s” and the prayers. 
 
The study, the teaching, the trying.
 
All of it. 
 
All that she had. 
 
I wish I knew her name. 
 
The widow.
 
But in the same breath,
 
I am glad she was willing to go without. 
 
Because then she is me. 
 
She is you. 
 
And He watches.
 
Sometimes I am tired in the giving. 
 
Sometimes it feels like no one is watching, and my offerings are meager. 
 
But there’s One who sees.
 
One who remembers. 
 
I wonder if she saw Him as He watched. 
 
If she knew. 
 
Did she look around? 
 
Did she have to convince her fingers? 
 
She gave all that she had.
 
I wonder if Jesus has a nightstand.
 
I bet two mites sit in His nightstand drawer.
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That would make me happy.