the widow's mite

Luke 21:2-4

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury,
Luk 21:2 and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites.
Luk 21:3 So He said, "Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all;Luk 21:4 "for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had."

Yesterday I went to go recycle. It was hot & late in the day. Being the end of the day and the close of the center there were many homeless people there trying to turn in their last few cans of the day. The man running the center was sweating, working extremely hard to keep up with the fast pace demand. I was stuck at the machine. I had bags and bags & was able to observe over ten people come and go while I pushed bottle after bottle in the machine. There is a homeless man that is extremely poor (I know most homeless are obviously poor but he seemed extremely broke, shaggy ripped clothes, no socks, long beard, and he placed all his money in an old black sock tied around his waste. As he walked by me he smiled and said hello. He picked up a bottle I had dropped and handed it to me. I was struck by his kindness. Ten minutes or so passed and he returned from cashing in his receipt at the store for his cash. He walked over with a huge orange Gatorade and smiling handed it to the man working the shift. The man working the shift reached into his pocket to hand the man some cash. The homeless man gave him a handshake and said "it's on me today". I could have cried right then and there. I was so moved. There is something about giving to others that makes us come alive on the inside. I must say though that there is something about watching others who have nothing to give but give anyway that can make us feel dead in the inside because the way we have been giving is not quite up to kingdom par. In that moment I was sure that the kingdom of God was being played out in front of my very eyes. I want to remember that man & his kindness. He was the essence of Luke 21 and two thousand years later the Holy Spirit wanted to take note.