Keeper

Hi there and welcome back,
I would like to say first, that I mentioned the wrong movie last week when I made the statement that heart will take us across the line when strength fails.  It actually was the movie, “Facing the giants” and not the Titans, though both movies carry strong messages of passion, heart and the will to win.
We gathering again this week to talk more about this great lady, the bible calls, “a widow woman”
We have spoken of this widow woman’s heart to win.  “The heart of a champion”.
Today, I would love to honour the fact that she was a great steward of what she had.
Here is a powerful life truth for all of us. She looked at the little amount of flour and oil, knowing it was certainly not an answer to her problem, but she continued to use it anyway. How could she possibly know what waits for her on the other side of this decision.
It is so easy to be overwhelmed by the need that we can lose heart in the sowing of the little.
So many times, we ask God for more, but His response is always, “What are we doing with what we have now?”
She did not know it, but she was displaying the truth that Jesus said, If your faithful in the little, you will be faithful in the much.  Because of her stewardship of what she had, He knew she would be faithful with plenty.
What we use today has the seeds for future harvest in it.
This lady went forward with a little, in a hopeless circumstance but she never lost her spirit of generosity. Her hands and heart opened to use gladly what she had.
There are times as I drive around Egypt and see the overwhelming need, I wonder do we make a difference at all. But I know that when it looks overwhelming, I just do the little I can, and a little done consistently will eventually produce a harvest.
When I was pastoring, people often commented that they really don’t have any big talent or gifting.
I stood amazed as I watched them interacting with people. They displayed incredible abilities to connect, to love, to speak the right words at the right times, and to be a safe harbour for people to rest in.  They literally changed lives in quiet conversation, a warm embrace, a welcome smile and with an integrity to keep peoples’ hearts safe.
They were doing what this widow woman was doing, being generous with what they had and the harvest was changed lives.
The greatest gift is the one you have and use, by this you become the gift to others. Just like this widow woman, her generosity and stewardship would cause her to become a gift to Elijah and ultimately to her family.

Like many of you, there are days when I have felt discouraged with life, then someone comes along and does a seemingly random act of kindness.  They don’t see the harvest, but I experience it in restored joy and hope.  We can change the course of a life by being generous with what we think may be small, but it carries the seed for future harvest and the life you just touched will experience that harvest.
We love this lady who stayed generous with what she had until the end.  You and I may not have enough love, life, finance, to answer every need, but we start with, stay true to, and be generous with what we do have.  Then comes the continuing harvest.
God Bless you, see you next week
Adrienne

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