A Story

There was once a woman. The woman lived in her house and had very little. Her husband had just passed away and she was left alone with their two sons and her husbands’ debt. She was worried that she wouldn’t be able to put food on the table for her growing boys. You see, she was very poor.

One day, while talking with some friends, this woman learned that a very well-known man was going to be in their area. Immediately she thought of asking him for help. She didn’t know much about who he was, but he was known to help people and it was said that he was a good man who could be trusted.

The next day, she went to where he was staying and as he passed by, she called out to him. She told him briefly of her situation and shared her fears that her sons would be taken if she couldn’t pay her debt. The man asked her what she had in her house.

Wondering why he would want to know that, she replied that she had nothing. The few cooking supplies that she had would run out in only a matter of days.

The man, unhindered by her answer, told her to go to all of her neighbours’ houses and to collect as many canisters and jars and bowls as she could. Then, she was to bring them all back to her house and go inside with her kids. Once inside, they were to start filling everything they had collected with the last of her oil.

This seemed slightly strange to the woman, and she hesitated. What would everyone think as she collected jars from them? But she thought quickly through her options and realized that this one was probably her best. And besides, if she was going to lose her house, her sons, and everything she owned, her reputation would be ruined anyway. What harm could it do?

So, the woman sent one son to the left and the other son to the right and told them to knock on every door and ask for jars. The sons protested, afraid they might run into some friends while completing this unusual task, but one look at their mother’s face and they quickly ran to obey. The three of them collected jars until they covered the table. They collected jars until they covered the floor. There were many, many, MANY jars. Then, they went inside and closed the door, just as the man had said.

Once inside, the woman took a deep breath, looked at her half empty jar of oil and began to pour. Before she knew it the first jar was full and there was still oil to pour. She thought this was strange and moved on to a larger jar. To her amazement, her oil filled this jar as well. What was going on? Another jar was filled. And another. And yet another. Jar after jar was brimming with oil.

The woman excitedly called for her sons to fetch another jar, but they only shrugged and shook their heads. All the jars had all been filled. The woman glanced into the jar that she held in her hands and noticed that the bottom was dry. The oil had stopped flowing. The blessing flowed to the brim of each jar that had been gathered in faith. What if she hadn’t stepped out in faith and put her reputation on the line? She shook her head, her heart beating in her chest, at what she’d almost missed in her hesitation to collect jars. The blessing ran out only when the jars did.

Adapted from 2 Kings 4.