He saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins.

Luke 21:2

Sticks and stones are usually not thought of as good or valuable. It wasn’t my birthday. It wasn’t Christmas. But my then 5-year-old grandson, Lukas, brought me a gift. It was simple, not of great worth. It was just a quart Mason jar that contained sticks and stones that he had collected. On it, Lukas taped a little drawing of a tree, a shining sun, and a man standing in a garden. Lukas knew his grandpa well. He knew I was a nature lover and an admirer of God’s gifts of creation. So, he enthusiastically presented me with a token of his love — just a glass jar of sticks and stones. But for the last eight years, that simple gift sits next to my bed as a reminder of the wisdom, faith, and grace of a little child reflecting God’s love. Lukas knew his grandpa. Jesus knows this grandpa as well. He knows my needs. And so, I daily look at that jar and quietly sing, “I am Jesus’ little lamb, Ever glad at heart I am” (“I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb” LSB #740).

Don Luepke
Fremont, IN

Shepherd Jesus, You love me every day the same, even call me by my name. Amen.

Reflect: Create a little something for someone in need.

Read: Mark 10:13a and Colossians 3:14-17