“For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.” // Mark 12:44
We would barely arrive and already my cousins would crowd the car and empty everything out of the trunk. Every inch of the car was stuffed, the only space being where we were sitting. This trip always felt like part mission and part fun.
My mom would spend the whole year saving items to take to family in her hometown of Magdalena, Sonora, Mexico. Toiletries (she would collect my toothbrushes from when I would go the dentist), clothes that I outgrew (yes, she would pass them on to my aunt), goodies from Christmas baskets people would give to our family (yup, she would make sure to share that as well). Nothing was out of the question—one year she took a refrigerator because the one my grandparents had broke.
As my grandparents have passed and my mother has aged, she doesn’t personally deliver as frequently anymore. My frustration of always having to give away my clothes and seeing my aunt wear them has turned into a point of humility and gratitude rather than embarrassment. I understand the heart behind the giving. I understand that my mom would have taken everything to her family, because—although separated by a border—her love has no bounds.
Now as a widow of seventeen years, she continues this work with her neighbors. If there's something that my kids have outgrown, she remembers the grandmothers from her old barrio whose grandkids could use the clothes, gently worn shoes, or extra school supplies. She packs up her car and takes the time to distribute the items accordingly. Every time, she shares how much she loves seeing the faces of gratitude. She feels like Santa Claus—but on a smaller scale—because while it's not anything new, it's given with a lot of love.
Sister, do you give love away easily? Do you find creative ways to give without counting the cost? Let's open our hearts to a greater type of love. One that knows no bounds and doesn’t want anything in return.
