A Meager Offering

I have not been my best lately. The first trimester is really not for the weary. This season feels limiting and frustrating since I am used to operating at such a high bandwidth. Though I have done the first trimester five other times, I forget every time how consuming growing a human feels. 

I have this misconception that I’ve been battling my entire life – if I cannot do something “perfectly” or at  100%, I shouldn’t do it. I see this in my personal and professional endeavors, diet and lifestyle patterns, and sometimes in my prayer life. This has certainly plagued me this trimester.

As I was driving out of the driveway last week, I realized that Levi’s little satsuma tree was already bearing fruit. He received and planted the tree in March of this year and it surprisingly survived this summer’s intense heat. Though it is meager in stature, it already has fruit! I paused to take a photo and realized a meager offering is still an offering. And, the tree is not worried if it is big enough, sturdy enough, or perfect enough; it simply does what it does, and that bears fruit.

Though it feels like I have very little to offer these days – to God, my husband, my children, my friends, and even my job – what I can offer is enough. My prayer time doesn’t need to be extravagant or perfect, just simply offered. What I can do for my kids right now is all they’ll notice; and, they’ll likely not notice anything I can’t do. I need to accept that what I accomplish in each day’s agenda is that which I accomplish. It is amazing what the Lord can do with something small, such as the five loaves and two fish (Mt. 14). 

My prayer this week is that I simply give whatever I have without worrying how meager it is and allow God the chance to render what He chooses.