Day 21 of Lent, Friday, March 28, 2014

[The widow of Zarephath] said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” Elijah said to her, “Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son. 
                                                            1 Kings 17:12-13

This request by Elijah to a poor widow seems counter-productive.  It is almost laughable to see the hubris of Elijah in asking for something of a widow who is so poor she sees no future for herself or her son.

Our initial response is for Elijah to go and beg from someone else!

When we imagine that we have nothing
to share, we are poor indeed.

And yet, as we continue in the story, we see that the woman is blessed during a drought with a miraculous never-ending jug of meal and jar of oil.  If she had not paid attention and done something for someone else, would she have received the blessing?

I think this is something everyone needs to consider from time to time.  Often, our initial response to others may be, "that's not my responsibility."

Yet we try to teach our children the opposite as when we instruct them to pick up the mess regardless of who made it.

"But it's not mine!"

"Yes, but it won't hurt you to pick it up.  We help each other that way."

The following video is a wonderful testimony of someone who didn't say, "That's not mine."

I'm sure that he feels good about what he is doing even though he knows that he didn't put it there in the first place.  During Lent, what would it be for you to do something for someone else?  It might be that you find the abundance of blessing just like the widow of Zarephath.