The widow's mite

In church on Sunday, the pastor preached on the Bible verse where Mary breaks open expensive perfume and pours in on Jesus' feet. In John's version, Judas scolds her for using the perfume in this way, when it could have been sold and given to the poor. Jesus tells them to leave her alone, and praises her for the beautifully extravagant gift, even saying "Wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her."

Recently, my sister-in-law sold the trailer she and my brother owned for just $1000. She knew the couple who bought it, and that they were just starting out, as she and Jeff had been. Now Janet and Jeff had a history of being very bad with money, and easily taken in and scammed, so her parents and others have scolded her for her terrible business sense. Her response: "The two of them reminded me of Jeff and I, just barely trying to get by, always playing catch-up. If they could have this boost, at least have a place to live, paid for, then maybe they'll be all right." If she and Jeff couldn't have that life, she wanted to give it to someone else.