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Gift Within the Gift

Heard this story from priest during his sermon: A Church Missionary Society (CMS) missionary was given an exquisite sea-shell by a small boy. The missionary enthused over the gift after thanking the boy for it and then asked the giver from where he had got it. The boy told him where and the missionary realised that this place was many kilometres from where they were now.

The missionary said, 'What a long way for you to have to walk to get this gift for me?' To which the boy replied, 'The walking was part of the gift!!'

This story is slightly reminiscent of Jesus' observation of the widow who placed into the temple treasury two of the least valuable coins of the time out of her poverty and thereby put in more than all those who gave of their abundance (Mark 12:38-44).

May be Jesus was saying in effect, that a further gift of herself, of her generosity, of her faith in God's provision, lay within the tiny gift that she gave and that made all the difference.
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