Winning the Lottery
“And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny.”
―Mark 12:42
It was a rather cryptic message.
Something about an unexpected windfall (millions were mentioned) and the lady wanted to make a large donation to the church.
You bet I was interested. Have you ever tried to operate a nonprofit that is funded by volunteers who pay to work for free?
So, on the day of our appointment in walks my unexpected benefactor.
I could not have picked a more unlikely choice.
An elderly widow, quietly faithful but never one to make waves or seek attention. But apparently this was her time to make a big splash and she was bursting with excitement as she almost ran into my office.
“Oh pastor, I have always wanted to do something for the church but I haven’t had the means, but now I do! I am going to give the church a million dollars! And I want you to do something special with it,” she said.
(A million dollars!? A thousand dollars maybe or – stretching it – a few thousand, but a million? Call me a man of little faith, but I had trouble immediately jumping on her bandwagon. I was skeptical.)
“Tell me about it,” I asked.
“Oh, pastor, I won 10 million dollars and I wanted to pay my tithes on it.”
Won ten million, I thought. My weak faith weakened!
Something didn’t sound right. This was before the state lottery had come to town. Seem like I had heard about one of my members giving their son a few dollars to drive across the state line and buy some lottery tickets. But still, this little prim and proper church lady didn’t seem the type.
So how do you win ten million dollars?
My wondering mind snapped back to attention in the middle of her exited account of all the good she was going to do with her winning as she passed some papers to me. She said, “Pastor I want you to help me. I don’t know anything about how to handle that much money.”
As I looked at the material she gave me my heart sank and the dream of a cool million being given to the church and more sadly her dreams all flew away.
YOU ARE A GUARANTEED WINNER IN THE 10 MILLION DOLLAR SWEEPSTAKES!!!
Oh what a tough task I had—to gently explain that what she had won was a magazine subscription that was probably not even worth the “deposit” she had sent in to get a chance at winning 10 million.
This precious, sweet little lady had been duped and at that moment I hated the duper.
Jesus liked going to church. One of the things he liked to do was watch the offering being gathered. One day as he was watching with his disciples he noticed a widow lady giving two small coins.
He observed that she had given far more than the more prosperous donors because she had given from her need. Matter of fact she had given all she had.
But the widow in my office that day didn’t even have that much. She had nothing to give. All she had was good intentions.
I know, they say the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
But I believe on that day that again Jesus was watching the offering being received. And I believe I heard clearly: sometimes all you have to give is good intentions and God, knowing our heart, says, sometimes good intentions is good enough.
