"The widow's mite - more than enough..."

“You satisfy me
with your Love.
And all I have in You,
is more than enough...”

I know I've written about this subject before in a previous post, but I've been thinking about Chris Tomlin's "Enough," again, in light of Mary Baker Eddy's statement:

“The depth, breadth, height, might, majesty,
and glory of infinite Love fill all space.
That is enough!”.”

and a story that was recently shared on TMCYouth's Radical Acts comment thread for "Sell all you have, and give to the poor." The contributor, Nina, shared:

A friend told me a beautiful story yesterday about $20 being enough.

This was back in the ’40s in a rural African-American community. My friend was doing odd jobs, looking for work. An elderly woman asked him to do major repairs on her house. When he finished, she gave him $20. It was a small amount for all that work, but it was all she had. If he’d accept it, she said, God would make sure he’d never lack for a day in his life.

He graciously accepted it, never doubting. Two days later he was invited to begin construction work at a military facility. He ended up running a large crew, earned enough to raise his seven daughters, and gained the respect of the whole community. He retired with a generous pension 37 years, 4 months, and 13 days later.

“Sell all you have and give to the poor” can’t have a rigid meaning. What’s all? Who’s poor? Only GIVING seems to matter — giving something that’s not trivial to you.

So, today I've been thinking about this concept of infinite Love being "enough," in conjunction with another loved spiritual insight I've written about, "the law of appreciation" (when we appreciate something -- acknowledge, and are grateful for it's value, it appreciates -- grows in value) and how our concepts of "time" would measure, limit, and undermine our ability to see the timeless nature of Love's expanding care for us.

Here is my comment in response to Nina's:

I love this Nina…

When we give from the deep heart of Love…impelled by Love, resourced by Love, full of Love…it is always enough.

Since reading your post I have been thinking about the “time” element in this story. We might be tricked into thinking, “ah yes, it was in the 40s and $20 went further…” But if time is not a factor (but only as Mrs. Eddy said: “a mortal measurement”)
then whatever has value can’t have (as you have suggested) a rigid value. Value is a spiritual concept and must be as expansive as Sprit itself. So, instead of something that represents “value” ever shrinking, it must grow, expand, appreciate. And when we appreciate something (see recognize it’s value and are grateful) it appreciates (grows in value).

This is a spiritual concept, “the law of appreciation,” that I have been exploring for a couple of decades now, but your story about this woman’s promise that “if he accepted it (her widow’s mite…which had GREAT value to her) he would never lack for a day in his life” seems to have given me another piece of the puzzle. Appreciation doesn’t know time…it only knows it’s own nature…it’s own operation of spiritual law…gratitude and growth, gratitude and growth. Always expanding, never confined to the rigidity of “time” (mortal measurements).

This is leading me deeper...

I don't know where this thought-thread is going to take me today, but I know it's of value, it has substance, and I am not going to be distracted from appreciating it...and watching it appreciate in my heart.

Here is a link to the "Sell all that you have, and give to the poor," thread on Radical Acts if you would like to see all the comments in context.

always with Love,

Kate
so, I was sitting by the river, "thinking on these things" and here are some follow-up thoughts that have set my heart on fire:

one more thought…if time is not a factor in Spirit, every single act of generosity (without any regard for mortal measurements…) when appreciated continues to appreciate FOREVER!! It is always growing in value in our lives, always expanding, always appreciating…each time we appreciate what we have received from the great heart of Love (widow’s mite, or millionaire’s charity…it doesn’t matter in Spirit, they are both just expressions of illimitable, infinite Love) we are “watering” our field of vision so that we can SEE what expansive good is already in front of us.

So, perhaps it’s both about the giving, and the “accepting” (to use the woman’s term) how we accept the Love-inspired gift (with gratitude, wonder, appreciation) engages us more fully in this law of appreciation that is timeless, unstoppable, ever-expansive….

more to noodle on…whewww…I LOVE Radical Acts…full engagement!!!

again with Love, Kate

"All of You is more than enough..."

"All of You is more than enough for all of me... For every thirst and every need You satisfy me with Your love. And all I have in You is more than enough..." - Chris Tomlin & Louis Giglio

I hope you enjoy this video of Chris Tomlin's beautiful song, "Enough."  I think you will see how it relates to this story: It happened just last night.  We were sitting in church.  In preparation for conducting the service, I'd pulled together the readings, straight from questions that were pressing on my heart:  "What do I really need?"  "When will I know that I have enough?"  Using those questions as my starting point, I'd felt divinely led - as if on a journey through the Bible, and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. I was searching for the message God intended for our worship service - and for me.  I'd felt inspired but Scripture and the writings of Mary Baker Eddy, but the questions still loomed large.  Once I'd finished readings the selections, and we'd joined in silent prayer, I led the congregation in praying aloud the Lord's Prayer.  And it was this line, "Give us this day, our daily bread" that I found myself focusing on with genuine hunger.   After singing the second hymn, and reading the announcements, I opened the meeting for the sharing of gratitude, inspiration and testimonies of healing. And that was when my friend, Andrew - sitting on the sofa in the half-light of a late summer evening - shared a stunning idea. It was one that answered my question, so perfectly, that it was as if I'd posed my query directly to him,  he'd taken it to God, and come back with the perfect response. Andrew started his remarks, by sharing gratitude for what he was learning from the inmates he visited during his volunteer work at a local jail.  And then, he referred back to one of the statements that I'd read - twice actually - from Science and Health. He referred to it as the definition to the word, "enough."

"Unfathomable Mind is expressed. The depth, breadth, height, might, majesty, and glory of infinite Love fill all space. That is enough!"

It actually took my breath away.  It was as if little prickles of energy - and a million fireflies - were lighting up my insides.  I actually think I may have gasped.  This was the answer - the simple and direct answer - I had been looking for.  As I'd prepared for the service, there were two words that had kept poking at me:  "need" and "enough."  I knew what I most needed. Again from Mary Baker Eddy:

"What we most need is the fervent desire for growth in grace, expressed in patience, meekness, love, and good deeds."

And this had long become my answer. When suggestions came from within, "I need to know what is next." or "I need to feel thus, and so - peace, comfort, love - you name it."   When those false "needs" would project themselves as conditional to my peace, with Eddy's direction, it had become my practice to claim, "No, what I really need is the burning desire for growth in grace - expressed in patience, meekness, love, and good deeds. But the answer to the questions, "What is enough?"  "When will I have enough?"  "What would enough look like?"  For those questions, I didn't seem to have an answer that satisfied my hunger for something simple, clear, comprehensive, practical - and most importantly - spiritual. But Andrew's answer met all of those criteria - perfectly. And I claimed it, immediately, for myself as one of my five smooth stones for taking down the Goliath suggestion of: "never enough."  I have since discovered that it is truly one of the most wonderful spiritual tools to have at the ready.  When the inner critic tries to say I don't have enough, I never will have enough, or that I wouldn't know enough if it bit me on the backside, I can confidently go back to:

"The depth, breadth, height, might, majesty, and glory of infinite Love fill all space."

Do I need more money, more information, more praise, more entertainment, more comfort -- more, more, more? No, what I need - what I really, and truly, and practically need more of is growth in grace -- patience, meekness, love and good deeds.  And the depth, breadth, height, might, majesty, and glory of infinite Love filling all space is exactly what will meet that need.  In fact, it is the only thing that can, or will, eversatisfy that which I "most need." That is my "enough."  It will always be enough.  Love filling all space.  Love filling every heart.  Love filling every moment with opportunity for self-realization.  Love satisfying every need to trust more, and worry less.  Love filling every "wrathful and afflictive" experience as the opportunity to entertain angels heretorfore unawares. Love filling the earth with the gladness of growth, the affluence of freshness, the height, might, majesty, and glory of infinite beauty and grace.  Yes, it is enough. It is always enough.    with Love, Kate [photo credit:  Nathaniel Wilder 2010]