Dear poor widow,
I know not your name,
But I know what you did,
Wish I could do the same;
to be able to give, all that I have,
even if it is less; not consider it a shame.
To not compare with the rich,
or even try to fit in their elite frame,
They say giving is love;
not a competition, not a game.
Two copper coins are all that you had,
why did you give it off?
People must have thought of you as mad.
Didn’t you think of what could be?
that your tomorrow could be bad?
How can you give when you have nothing left?
I am sure it wasn’t a fad.
Thank you for teaching me through four verses,
that giving is not all about fat purses,
it is a dimension of love that surpasses,
all understanding, all forces.
You gave out of your nothingness,
but the Lord saw it great, not anything less,
you taught me that ‘to give is to bless’,
not boast nor impress.
Love,
The Miser Woman
There was a phase in my life when I did not own a lot of clothes. My family was going through a hard time financially and new clothes were not really on the cards at the time. Even participating in school plays were off the charts for me at that point because costumes were super expensive. And the best part is that I studied in a school where the elite of the society sent their children—no pressure at all. I envied the girls around me who were always so dressed up—vibrant colours, matching accessories and whatnot. More than 90 per cent of my wardrobe were worn-me-downs from my cousin. Her father aka. my uncle was in the Gulf at the time and he used to bring her a lot of clothes and accessories. Even I got a dress every year for my birthday from the Gulf–Oh! The joy of getting gifts. However, I always had a desire to select my clothes rather than wearing somebody else’s selection. I couldn’t complain though, even this one dress was luxury for me.
By the time I was ten, I had four ‘pretty, social gathering—worthy dresses’, that I cared for so ardently. I wore these four for every birthday party, wedding, housewarming and festival. I remember this one incident where an aunty openly declared—“Didn’t you wear the same frock for that other function? Do you only have this dress?” It broke my ten-year-old heart. And that day, for the first time, I asked God for new clothes. As a matter of fact, it became a part of my daily prayer. God heard me. But before getting to that, let us hit the rewind button for a bit.
From an early age, my parents have been an example of one major Christ-like attribute—generosity. Despite not having a lot, they always believed in giving. I was taught to do that as well; not just giving but giving cheerfully. Even to give from my wardrobe—now, that bit was a tad too touchy for me. I remember parting with my favourite white frock; it was hard, but I remember my mother being persistent. She often took the analogy of the cup full of water —”Only the empty cup can be filled, likewise, only an empty wardrobe can have room for new clothes!” Although the analogy never really spoke to me deeply in my early childhood days, I gave because I knew that I have a little more than someone else and that is enough. This also helped me to not develop any form of attachment to inanimate things—be it clothes or toys.
It is after years that I understood the whole idea of that exercise—it was to give out of nothingness. And it is not just about money but also in an emotional and spiritual way. Sometimes, we are so cushy in our life that we feel we only have enough for us. And maybe that’s right. Even Jesus had enough for Himself; He could have just sat there upon His throne and never looked down. Yet, He came down and chose to GIVE Himself for us. The greatest form of generosity ever that saved you and me. And we are expected to walk by His example. Today, when I look at my wardrobe, I stand in awe of how God heard that 10-year-old’s desperate cry and showered His manna. From four fancy wears to so many that I have lost count. As a matter of fact, it is two wardrobes full of clothes—different colours, different kinds and all handpicked by me. It is amazing how God hears even the groanings of your heart and blesses you so much more than you can ever imagine—good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over. It all starts with giving. And when you give, give to the Lord. Looks like, it is time to empty some cupboards!