Doing what we can

And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.” Mark 14:3-9

Later this morning I have to drive my husband to Somers Point so that he can have out patient knee surgery. It is pretty simple, same-day surgery, and yet I feel anxious for him, and anxious for myself too. I want everything to go well and even more I want to do everything I can for him. Nothing seems adequate when it comes to someone you love. You want to do everything possible and then some, and I wish I knew what the best thing was to do right now. we do what we can and wish there was more we could do.

A woman comes to Jesus and anoints him with precious oil. She has heard his words and understands that their time together is short. She is helpless to know what to do, and she searches her treasures to find an adequate gift, an adequate demonstration of her love for him. Others criticize her. But she is doing what she can out of love, what she needs to do to honor the love she has received. Jesus says that her gift, her offering, her willingness to give her all, would be the story told through the ages, the gift of love, not withheld, the heart willing to offer all.

Today, I want to live offering all that I am and all that I have for God. And for my family, who are my first calling, my initial ministry. We can only do what we can and only serve where we are call. May our hearts be open today and our hands ready to love and share with those to whom we have been given.