I am finding more and more that some of the greatest miracles that I see in my life come through my daily scripture study. I believe with all my heart that the Lord asks us to read our scriptures each day because His words can lift us higher. As we read His words, it invites the presence of the Spirit, and He is able to inspire us with thoughts from on high. When I find myself pondering different passages, I recognize the Lord's influence on my thoughts. The natural man would not think such thoughts on his own, but the scriptures let the Spirit in and allow the Lord's thoughts to become our thoughts.

There is nothing else in the world that I would rather be doing right now than staying at home with my daughter. I love her and I love being her mother! While this is the most fulfilling role that I have ever played in my life, I am still human and I have a need to feel fulfillment in other ways too. I've been praying recently that the Lord would help me enrich my life and find enjoyment and happiness through many different avenues. You won't be surprised to hear that my answer came through my scripture study this last week.

Isn't it funny that you can read a passage of scripture 100 times, and then simply because of changed circumstances, focus, or needs, it can mean something completely different and new to you? This happened to me a few days ago when  I read the story about the Widow's mite. Mind you, I've always enjoyed this story and found it inspiring that this woman gave everything that she had. But with my recent plea in mind, I saw this story in a whole new light and it touched my heart beyond what words can express. In Mark, the story reads:

"And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living." ~ Mark 12:41-44

I don't know why, but when I'd read this story in the past I'd always associated it with tithing in my mind. This time, however, I realized that this story can represent something completely different that applies to each of us. We learn from the account that this woman literally gave everything that she had, which wasn't much. I read about the mite in the Bible Dictionary, and I learned that the mite was the smallest bronze coin that the Jews used.

As the other men were standing by casting in more money than she had probably ever seen, it would have been easy for her to feel embarrassed and silly contributing such a small amount. She could have easily justified not giving the small amount, thinking that it would not make any difference. Her two mites would not be noticed among the abundance that others cast in, but surely she would notice the absence of her living. Why, then, did this woman do what she did?

We don't know her reasons as they are not recorded. But I like to think that one possible reason is that she understood something profound; she must have understood that making such a sacrifice would strengthen her and bless her beyond what the money could have done for her. She knew of the power that lies in the Lord, and she knew that when we sacrifice everything for Him and His cause, He will bless us and make us better.

As I pondered this, I was filled with love for and was in complete awe of this magnificent woman. I saw myself in the widow, not because I am without a husband or money, but because I am capable of giving everything to the Lord too. I tend to think that what I have to offer is so small in comparison to what other people have to offer (and I know I'm not the only one who thinks like this). Sometimes I am selfish and have a hard time wanting to give up my most precious commodity - my time. Sometimes I think that I can't really make a difference. But this is so wrong!

The widow teaches us that no matter how small our offering, we must give everything. I realized that the way for me to feel true fulfillment and happiness would be through sacrificing everything for the Lord and making His will, my will. Sacrifice of time, talents, habits, or anything else is never convenient. But if it was convenient or easy, it would not be capable of producing such strength.

This realization was a miracle for me because it came right before multiple opportunities to cast in my mite, so to speak. I was more ready to accept these opportunities because they Lord had prepared me for them and helped me see the value in them.

The beauty in this miracle is that it changes us more than it does the world around us. It gives the Lord power to shape us into the people that we need to become so that we can be like Him one day. Remembering this has given me the courage to strive to sacrifice everything for the Lord, and that is the kind of legacy and the kind of miracle that I want to give my family.