A Good Reminder

Yesterday I went by the grocery store on my way home from work. As I finished shopping I was glad to see the lines weren't too long, as they usually are around the 5:00 hour. I contemplated which line to get in, trying to figure out which would be the fastest, and settled on one with an old lady who only had a few items. She walked slowly up to the register and struggled to put her few items on the conveyor belt: milk, bread, just a few basics. Next she started to unload a rolling bag from the bottom of her cart, which she seemed to use to carry her groceries home, probably walking. I tried to help her by holding her cart still; while doing so I glanced over to next line and realized I could have been checking out there, but I had already taken all of my groceries out of the cart. She was a sweet little old lady, and I tried to be patient as she slowly counted out pennies to pay for her groceries, which came to about $1.45 (likely the price after food stamps). Once she paid she walked to the end of the counter and started slowly loading her groceries into her rolling bag. Meanwhile, the cashier started to check me out. As she was finishing up and I was about to pay, the little old lady walked towards me and put a few coins into a box on the counter for some children's charity. She, who seemingly was struggling herself, gave out of her poverty and her heart by putting a few pennies into that box. It was a good reminder for me, and for all of us, that even in tough economic times we still have the ability to give- whether out of wealth or poverty- what we can to help others.


Mark 12:41-44
"And He sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, 'Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.'"