She did what she could

“She did what she could” … these words stopped me in my tracks.

I had just been talking with a friend and expressed that I feel so small in the middle of all of this. I see an entire world being shaken – I see people searching for answers, and I want to hold my Jesus up high in all His beauty, in all His peace, in all His promises and assurances of refuge. But here I sit in my little backyard, and it’s easy to feel insignificant.

Then I read the story of Mary pouring the best that she had on Jesus in the days before His death, and my breath caught in my throat – because when others mocked and derided Mary for her extravagant act of love, Jesus defended her with these very words – “she did what she could”. (Mark 14:8) This brought it all home for me.

What do we do when the need feels overwhelming? When we feel so helpless? When we just want to crawl back under the covers and hide? We do what we can. We find the beauty we have to offer and we pour it out for Jesus. Today, that looks like making a corner of my house a little more beautiful with a little paint and extra fabric I had in my basement, putting all the good stuff on my kid’s waffles, laughing loudly at a silly joke my son just told me, and delighting in the ridiculous incongruity of this clumsy bumblebee in the bushes in front of my house. And writing these words.

I will reach out to some friends later this afternoon and make sure they’re doing ok. I will pray for my friend’s husband who is in critical condition right now. And maybe tonight when the sun is setting, I will light a fire and make s’mores before the rain comes in.

Let’s live these days with open hearts and let God be more real than He has ever been, my friends!