Two Coins

Today, as I walked into church, I was surprised to feel a small hand slip into my own. I looked down to see a familiar face, an eight-year-old girl named Jefta that I met in the village of Simonette this week. I had almost forgotten that she had told me she would be at church on Sunday. It took me a moment to recognize her because instead of the dirty clothes, she wore a shimmery orange dress, one that had probably seen a couple Easters or weddings in America before making its way to Haiti. It looked worn, the fabric roses at her waist were a bit frayed, but I could tell she felt beautiful in her Sunday clothes. As we made our way to our seats, I asked where her family was. Her mother was home sick, and the rest of her family was in the village. She had come to church with people from her village because she had told me she would. I am learning in Haiti that oftentimes when people are materially poor, they are rich in that which matters most. Keeping your word in Haiti is a sign of integrity, and it is not taken for granted. So Jefta found a way to come to church because she had told me she would, and friends keep their word.

Jefta and I sat together in church, hand-in-hand, having a limited conversation with the little Kreyol I know. She proudly produced two small gourdes in the palm of her hand. Gourdes are Haitian coins, and the two of them amounted to about one American nickel. She played with the coins in her hand telling me how they were for the church collection. She squeezed my arm when they began to pass the basket around, excited to give her small amount.

I couldn't help but think of the story found in Mark chapter 12, the tale of the widow who gave her two coins, all that she had to the offering, and Jesus praised her for giving more than all the others. It humbled me and made me think about my own offering. Do I give all that I have to God? Upon examining my life, I would say I have much more to give. We oftentimes protect ourselves, giving just a little of ourselves and our resources so that we won't burn out. We say we have to take care of ourselves too, that we cannot give all our energy, time, and love to others. Is that our calling? Self preservation? In the world's eyes, it might be, but we do not belong to this world.  

Christ calls us to give all of ourselves, to lay down our life as He did. God will take care of us like He takes care of the grass of the field and the tiniest sparrow. Yes, we need to spend time alone with God, but we should still pour ourselves out completely every single day and rely on him to fill us once again. We should love God and His people like it is the last day we have to love them. We should live our lives in such a way that without continual reliance on God's strength, we will fail.

It brought me to tears to see God's Word embodied in this beautiful little girl. God chooses the weak to shame the strong, the poor to shame the rich, the child to shame me. I pray everyday for God to break me, that I will decrease so that He may increase. That in this jar of clay, others may see the treasure- the promise of life that Christ gives us.