Some Gave All

The smell of her neighbor's breakfast roused her from her slumber.

"Mmmmm. Fish and bread."

Her stomach growled but her mind knew she would not have the pleasure of such a simple yet delicious meal.

She followed her morning routine, simply because she had nothing else to do.

It was hard to believe it had already been ten years.

Her morning routine was always the same.
Her morning routine always brought the same memories.

She washed her plate and cup.
She remembered- She used to wash two plates and cups.

She swept the floor.
She used to have much more to sweep up from his dusty sandals.

She washed her garments.
She no longer had his garments to wash.

Ten years of loneliness.
Ten years for grief to settle in like an unwanted companion.

She sat in the chair by the window.
The memories began to roll through her mind as her melancholy mood settled in, once again, for the day.

A child's laughter brought her back to reality.
She was surprised to feel the moistness on her face as she got up to try to find something to eat.

Nothing.
Her stomach growled again.

She went to her night stand and found the two coins.
They felt cold to her fingers.
It wasn't much at all.
Not even enough to buy some food.

She knelt by her bed mat in a familiar position of prayer.
She would talk to Yahweh.

In a moment she knew what to do.
She carefully put the coins in her pocket and headed for the door.

The smells from the market were a constant reminder of days gone by and of the hunger in her stomach.

A few more streets and she was there.

She waited so that maybe none of the elders would be watching.
She saw her chance for oblivion.
She slowly made it up the temple steps to the box.

Oh, how she wished the coins wouldn't sound so hollow.
Just once she wondered if she was insane.
There was nothing else! She had absolutely nothing else.

But it wasn't hers.
It was His.
Yahweh had been so good to her. She couldn't not give Him what was His.

She was at the top of the stairs.
With a quick prayer under her breath that no one would mock her for her small gift, she dropped the coins in.

There. It was done.

She turned and began her walk back down the stairs.

................................................................................

okay...
That is all for today.

Tune in tomorrow for part 2!

blessings,
dorinda