She wiped the perspiration from the palms of her hands on her faded robe. In a purposeful way she tried to make herself unobtrusive and obscure, in an attempt to avoid public scrutiny. She watched nervously as others paraded so ceremoniously past the open coffer.

It was now six years since she had been coming to this place all alone; and no one ever seemed to notice her. No one ever seemed to care.

Oh how she wished that Eliab could once again be by her side! He was a loving husband and such a good provider! It seemed so long ago that Eliab had died! Semoa remembered how, in spite of “Roman oppression” that stifled the prosperity of the “average” citizen; Eliab had always made sure that there was more than enough to eat. His long hours of work day after day, his relentless determination, and his perseverance provided them with a simple but comfortable existence!

Their tiny two-roomed house, built with their own hands, was situated on a very small parcel of land. The peripheral property was comprised of a tiny stable to the rear of their dwelling, and a little garden plot to the front. A few chickens, a beef cattle, and a milking cow summed up their wealth.

The thought of their home jolted her back to the present. The taxes! How would Semoa pay the taxes?! Myrabahd had already given her “fair” warn on his second call to collect. He said that if the taxes were not paid on his next visit, that her little farm would become the property of the Roman Empire! What would she do??

The procession continued. Colliahb, a more “notable” Pharisee in the territory, was approaching the treasury. How splendid he looked, adorned in his fine blue robe, garnished with ornate trinkets from afar! As he neared the focal point of public attention, he cleared his throat and reached into his robe to retrieve his purse. With exaggerated movements he put his hand so very deeply into the bag, making certain that the jingling of its concealed riches was audible to all! With great pomp and ceremony, Colliahb, raised his right hand over the repository. Opening his hand, he released a hoard of coins; all of very great value. He allowed them to fall very noisily from a great height into the accumulated wealth below! Very solemnly, he raised his head up high! Grasping the folds of his tunic with both hands, he threw his shoulders back, and strutted in a very distinguished manner back to his seat of prominence!

Semoa observed the proceedings with nervous apprehension! Her vesture was simple and tattered; even offensive to some. Her appearance was plain! How could she offer her “pittance”, especially in public view?

She saw that only a few people were joining the line now. She didn’t want to be the very last. That would draw even more attention to her; but so sincerely, she wanted to give!

Timorously, and silently she found a place in line. She could feel her heart pounding now, as she had so many times before! Her breaths were short, and her hands quivered as she nervously held on to the two small coins! It wasn’t enough! She wanted to give so much more! On the other hand, common sense kept telling her that maybe if she kept the two coins to give to Myrabahd, along with a promise to pay the balance of her taxes in a short time…NO!

She had set these coins aside and purposed in her heart to give them to God! It was all that she could give!…It was all that she had!

As Semoa waited for her turn at the treasury, she closed her eyes and prayed that her God in heaven would somehow accept her puny offering as a token of her love and devotion!

As she whispered her prayer, she sensed that she was being watched. She knew that she had been watched on other occasions, as those who were so much wealthier demeaned her offering and even scorned her presence. But…somehow it was different this time!

She resolved to keep her eyes closed to pray as well as to avoid their judgmental glares. The feeling of being watched grew stronger,…much stronger! She felt compelled to open her eyes, but with determination she closed them even tighter! The line moved ahead. Semoa opened her eyes to make sure that she didn’t stumble and draw attention to herself! As they opened, her eyes were drawn uncontrollably to a figure sitting across from the treasury! She tried to look away from the man, but she couldn’t!

She never saw this man before, but somehow she felt as if she knew him! How could this be? She felt like she was staring at him, and she was; but she felt in a strange way, that it was alright to stare!

His demeanor was not threatening in any way! His face was gentle, and his eyes were soft and kind! His garments were very plain, but somehow he seemed to be majestic. He was far more noble than even Colliahb! There was something completely different about this man; perhaps an inherent royalty? Surely if that were the case, public attention would be on him; and he certainly wouldn’t be sitting with the commoners as he was! As she looked at him, she finally realized, that what she had sensed when her eyes were closed, was that he had been watching her! She now began to sense a warmth and a peace that she had only ever experienced in times of prayer!

Semoa hadn’t noticed her proximity to the treasury while she was looking at the man. All of a sudden, she felt the person behind nudge her, and she heard one of the officials “exhort” her to put her offering into the coffer.

In hurried humility, she placed her tiny, insignificant coins into the treasury. As she was about to return to her seat, she took one more look at the man with eyes so soft and kind. He was leaning to one side, talking to some rough looking men, while still looking at her. He ceased his talking and looked directly at Semoa with a very loving smile of approval!

Semoa was instantly filled with rapture as she had never known before! Her heart began to pound even harder, but this time with joy and glee! She left knowing that God was pleased, and that one way or another, everything would be alright, even when Myrabahd returned to collect the taxes!…

…She wiped the perspiration from the palms of her hands on her handkerchief. Ever since she entered the church that Sunday morning, there had been a battle raging within her! She wanted to participate in the worship with her brothers and sisters in Christ that morning, but the struggle inside obscured the course and proceedings of the service! No one in that little church knew what was going on!

Dorothy (most called her Betty), and her five children had been saved for just a little more than a year now. John her husband had abandoned the family about seven months ago! He never was a provider! In fact, he was an irresponsible and violent alcoholic! He continually beat his wife and his children!

Betty was working eighteen to twenty hours a day to keep her family!

Most of the people that she worked for paid her a trifle! She cleaned houses, a bowling alley, merchants’ shops, and a hotel to keep the rent and utilities paid, and food on the table!

She now lived in a small two-bedroom apartment with her five children! They had accumulated a few sticks of furniture. The two boys had one bedroom, and the three girls shared the other! The two boys slept in one bed, and the three girls shared one among them! Betty initially slept on the couch whenever she had a couple of hours to sleep.

Before John threw the family out of the house, they had often been hungry and cold, because there was no food or heating fuel! Most of the necessities of life were not adequately provided for!

Since that point in time, God had always provided everything that Betty and her five children needed. They were always warm and never hungry!

Betty was restless throughout the Service. She had to make a major decision, and she had to make it fast! She had to decide what to do with… “twenty-five cents”…a measly quarter! Offering time was rapidly approaching and she felt the Holy Spirit of God telling her to put her last quarter into the offering plate! She wanted to give it to the Lord! She really did!

The problem with giving her last quarter to the Lord was that if she did, she would not be able to feed her five children! Last nights’ supper had accounted for the last morsel of food in the house.

If Betty kept the quarter, at the going rate of twelve cents per loaf, she would be able to buy two loaves of bread for her children. If eaten sparingly, that might be just enough to keep the children going for a couple of days, until by chance she could earn a little more money and buy some more groceries. Common sense told her that she needed to feed her children far more than the church needed the quarter! But she wanted so badly to give it to the Lord as a token of her love and devotion!

She watched with apprehension, as the ushers were called to take up the offering. Nervously, she fondled the coin, as the pianist play the offertory, and the collection plate was past down one row and then another…and another! She knew for certain that the Holy Spirit was telling her to put the quarter into the offering! Reason and intellect told her to keep it to feed the children…bread at least!

The plate was beginning to come down her row now! What would she do? Her heart was pounding! The plate was only four seats away! Three…two…one; With fear and tremor, Betty raised her hand over the plate and released the coin! As the quarter fell among the rest of the currency, Betty felt as if she had forsaken her children! Now what would she do?

As she left the church, Betty was approached by one of the other Ladies. An invitation to spend Sunday afternoon with her and her family was extended to Betty and her five children! She also asked that Betty’s oldest boy, Jack, would bring his guitar and that Betty’s five children would sing as they did so often in church.

They all feasted on a lavish “four course-meal” complete with homemade pie for desert that afternoon! They sang together and enjoyed wonderful fellowship following dinner. During the festivities the hostess received a telephone call.

The caller wanted to know if the hostess had seen Betty and her family. He explained that he and his family had intended to invite Betty and her children over for the afternoon, but that they had missed them after service. He further explained that they had prepared a virtual banquet, and were desperate to find Betty and her children, to help them to eat “all of the food”! After being told that he had indeed found their whereabouts, he insisted that they be sent to their home for supper, before going to church that evening! Betty and her family feasted almost glutinously once more!

Betty and her children returned to church that evening, with their stomachs full to the point of being quite uncomfortable! Singing was difficult to say the least!

While returning home from church that night, Betty once again wondered what she would feed her children the following day! She once again battled with self-incrimination! Finally, they arrived at their simple abode. Jack had recently been given the responsibility of carrying a key to the apartment, and raced up the twenty-seven stairs to open the door. A thud was heard as he reached the darkened porch at the top! Jack had tripped over copious bags and boxes of groceries and numerous loaves of bread that would be more than sufficient to feed the family for two to three weeks!

Betty now knew that God had looked her way and smiled with loving approval when she “let go” of the quarter!

The stories that you have just read are true!

The first story is based on the accounts found in the Bible, in Mark 12:41-44; and Luke 21:1-4. Fictitious names have been given to otherwise nameless Characters, and minute illusory circumstances have been added to help us to comprehend the widow’s dilemma.

The second story is written just as it happened. Neither the circumstances nor the names have been changed in any way. The main character, Betty, was my mother, and Jack is my older brother.

The parallel between the two stories is more than obvious!

- two women without husbands. - their love and devotion for God, and their desire to please him! - they neglect their own needs, and even ignore common sense to honor god! - they both give all that they have! - God is very pleased with both of them!

In the story of the widow and her farthing (two mites) from scripture, Jesus, (the one who was watching her), acknowledged his pleasure with her verbally and publicly! How she must have rejoiced!

The associate pastor (Pastor Troy Matchett) of our church, (The Listowel Pentecostal Church), preached on this text. He preached with a very real anointing of the Holy Ghost, and I was blessed beyond measure! He made a point about the widows farthing, that I had never thought of, though I had read this scripture many times, and heard numerous sermons on the subject!

His thought was this (paraphrased).

“If the widow had only given one half of her farthing, (one mite instead of two), God certainly would have been pleased and she could have left with a very clear conscience! She didn’t have to give all that she had…She wanted to give all that she had and she did, because of her love for God!”

I have thought about that a great deal since Pastor Matchett’s sermon. He has made me realize that God does not demand everything that we have,…but he wants us to want to give him all that we have and all that we are!

So often we are approached to give to the work of the Lord!

-We give our tithes and our offerings through our local assembly! (As God commands) -We are asked to give to other causes and ministries through “special offerings”! -We are asked to give to television ministries! -We are asked to give to a worthy cause at the door! -We are asked to give to ministries on the internet!

Our giving is solicited through every venue and media, and at every opportune moment!

Most Christians who truly love the Lord could probably say that they give sufficiently. But do you love God enough that you want to give more to his work and to ministries that are reaching lost souls, that would otherwise enter a terrifying eternity?

Do you want to give…and give… and give, until it is truly a “sacrifice” as it was for the two women in our stories? God will be pleased and he will acknowledge your sacrifice! Your soul will be filled with joy!

There is a “Partner with us” page on our site at http://www.alivingwayministries.org . This page will allow those who do not have direct contact with us, but have access to our web site to give to this work, which has been proven time and time again to be ordained of God! Many Souls are being saved!

We need your financial support! We need you to give to A Living Way Ministries!

Our ministry is at a point where more finances are needed to do what God is telling us to do!

Some may say that they are already giving to many ministries! “A Living Way Ministries” is not in competition with other ministries for your financial support. All of the ministries that are ordained of God must be supported! Their needs must be met!

Let me give you a few simple guidelines for giving, that will hopefully be of benefit to you, and will definitely please God!

1. Give faithfully, your tithes and offerings to your place of worship!(First & foremost) 2. Give prayerfully! Ask God to what ministries he would have you to give! 3. Give from your heart! (Give because you want to give.) 4. Give out of your love and devotion to God! 5. Give to please the Lord and no one else!

We hope that you will prayerfully consider giving to this ministry!

We need “one time” donations as well as “regular monthly” financial support!

Will you help us to do the will of God? God is always watching, and I guarantee he will approve; and you will know it!

Please pray about supporting our ministry!

Until next time, May God Bless you all!

Wilson.