"As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 'Truly I tell you,' he said, 'this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.'" Luke 21:1-4 (NIV)

I put my 2-year-old twins in the back of the shopping cart and my 3-year-old in the front seat. I only needed a few items and didn't want to drag out the double stroller with the extra seat in back.

Everything was going well until I passed a line of shiny new Big Wheels. I scooped the twins out of the cart and then turned to get Leslie. I thought it would be fun to show them to the kids.

That's when I heard a whoosh!

Ryan jumped on one Big Wheel. His twin-sister, Melissa, on the other. Like rockets, they blasted off.

While Melissa jetted to the back of the store, Ryan shot toward the front where the double doors opened into a busy parking lot. It took nearly 10 minutes to capture my runaways.

I left the store, overwhelmed.

As a mom of three toddlers, I often experienced feeling "not enough."

Not enough sleep. Not enough hours in the day. Not enough of me to go around. But on that day my "not enough" went deeper. I judged myself far too harshly.

In today's passage, we meet another woman who has experienced "not enough." She's clutching two farthings ... barely 1/100 of a day's wages ... surrounded by men with overflowing resources, who gave large offerings. Yet Jesus told the disciples her offering was greater.

Why?

The rich men gave out of their excess while the widow gave out of her not enough.

Maybe you're a mom and there are days you feel as if you give out of your not enough all day long, or you compare yourself to others.

What does the widow's example teach us?

She gave all she had.

When it's all you've got, it's significant. As moms, we bring everything to Jesus - all of it, the good parts and the hard parts. You bring your desire to make a difference. You bring your personality and talents, whether you are the mom who jumps on the bed with her kids, or the mom who makes the tastiest cupcakes ever.

You also bring the harder parts, like your doubts.

When we place our "not enough" like doubt or impatience or lack of knowledge in His hands, it translates to trust in Him - believing that He'll help us fill those gaps.

She willingly gave.

The widow's two farthings were of great value to her.

Willingly offering your child means that you understand that God has a stake in this, too. He has a plan and a purpose for your child. He loves him or her. He knows your child's DNA and the number of hairs on his head.

But it doesn't stop there. Just as He loves your babies, He treasures you. Don't hide because you feel like you made a mistake. Willingly walk into His presence and give Him all of you. He'll meet you there.

She trusted God with her offering.

Parenting is a continual process of putting in our two farthings. Trust God for the long-term, friend. You're parenting every single day, but it all adds up as they become the human beings God created them to be.

If I could go back to that young mama in the store, I'd wrap my arms around her and say, "The 'not enough' you give day in and day out is seen by God and by His grace and power it is more than enough."

Father, today, I give everything I have and everything that I am to You. I joyfully bring my "not enough." In Jesus' Name, Amen.

***

TRUTH FOR TODAY:

2 Corinthians 12:9, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." (NIV)

RELATED RESOURCES:

If you can relate to Suzie Eller's story, you might appreciate her book, The Mom I Want to Be: Rising Above Your Past to Give Your Kids a Great Future.

Visit Suzie's blog where she offers two giveaways of her book, The Mom I Want to Be.

REFLECT AND RESPOND:

The enemy would like to camp out in our "not enough" and make us feel inadequate.

Thank God for one thing you do well as a mom. Then, offer Him the one area where you feel least equipped. Praise Him for His work in enabling you to do both.

© 2015 by Suzie Eller. All rights reserved.