the price of oil

A timeless story came to life once again this past Sunday. Let me paraphrase, if I may....there was a lady whose husband had died. She was just barely getting by, he had died and left many debts behind. She did her best to supply the needs of her family, but despite her greatest efforts the debt collectors would be arriving the next day to collect the money or take her two sons as slaves to work off the amount owed. They could be gone for many years, one could never know. She was desperate, empty...she went in search of the local prophet Elisha. He told her to gather as many empty containers as she could and fill them with the little oil she had. Hey, what did she have to lose? Humbly she went knocking on her neighbors doors, "um, could I borrow a few empty bowls, maybe a glass or vase too?" One by one she, with the help of her two boys, gathered all the empty containers they could and headed back home. Cautiously she followed the directions given her, she tipped the small bottle of oil over the large empty container and out it came...drip, drip, drip and it just kept pouring out....glub, glub, glub....FILLING each container until there were no more remaining. "Bring me another vessel," (verse 6) she cried to her sons, "Mom, they're all gone!" So the oil ceased!! With amazement she and her sons loaded these containers brimming with oil and took them to the local salesman. He paid her for the goods she had. That night she laid her head down on her pillow knowing all was well. At the crack of dawn a knock comes on her door, but this time her heart did not leap into her throat with fear, but she rose confidently to answer the collectors call. She pulled out the cold, hard cash and paid the man in FULL. Closing the door she realized she still had money to spare, money to live on. (2 Kings 4:1-7).

I felt especially connected with this lady, being that she too had 2 young sons. I imagined myself in her situation, the possiblity of handing my sons over to a stranger for many years of hard labor, to pay a debt they did not owe. What sweet relief must have hung in the air the moment she realized that all would be provided for. I was encouraged to give what I have to the One who can make much from my little. I guess empty isn't so bad afterall.

"I specialize in empty." ~God~