My little bit of oil

The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the LORD. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.” Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?”

“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”

Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.” She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.”

But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing. She went and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.” 2 Kings 4:1-7

Even though the girls in my class are 8-10 years old, they face problems that seem as big as the widow and her son's problem: moving across the country, ugly divorces, and just the general problems that come with school, family, and relationships.

So today we read about the widow and her oil. Even though it seemed like nothing, God was able to use her meager resources to fulfill her needs--with some to spare. While the girls don't have olive oil, they do have things they can offer to God--their hearts, their attitudes their hands, their allowance. So we decorated "_____'s Oil Jar", and filled them with slips of paper with what they could give to God, and prayed for faith to call on Him when we have a need, trust directions that might not seem rational, and eagerness to do whatever He asks of us.

I need to remember this too. I often feel overwhelmed by problems bigger than my olive oil supply. It's a reminder to dedicate what I do have to God, and ask him to multiply it for his glory.