Dorcas lost both an aunt and an uncle this week, and she was preparing to leave for Lubumbashi to attend the funeral. Sylvain was to see her off and so they would not be going to church with me today. As I entered their house, I hugged Dorcas for a long time, which brought tears to her eyes. She was close to her uncle, and this was a difficult loss. As I sat down I looked at Sylvain, who also had tears in his eyes. This touched me deeply, because I saw the love that he had for Dorcas was the same that David and I had for each other. When one of us hurts, the other feels that same pain. It is the knowing that there is no definition between where one person ends and the other begins. How much I miss my husband!
During the offeratory the young men’s choir was singing. It was a joyful song about giving to the Lord and I enjoyed the smiles they had on their faces as they sang to the Lord. At some point during the music, a woman came up to give and was making beautiful gestures with her hands, from her heart and then gracefully raising them to the Lord. She had the most beautiful, joyful smile on her face. I said to Franck “This is how we all should look when we are giving to the Lord!” and he agreed with me, however he mentioned that she was said to have some mental problems. I thought about this and dismissed it, for I know that many with mental problems are the most genuine and honest in their feelings. I could not get the picture out of my mind of her joy in giving. I recalled the story of the widow’s mite and thought about how that woman must have had the same beautiful smile on her face as the woman at Galilee Church.
Whether I have 500 Congolese francs (55 cents) or 10,000 francs ($11) to give on any given Sunday, this is how my heart feels when I give it. My desire and my prayer is that my face would reflect it, too.