It was what He did not hear that spoke to Him of the meaning of the moment and of a woman's heart. The loud ping of weighty coins announced the offerings of those who passed by the repository, announced the size of their temple gifts. When the widow passed by and moved her hand soundlessly toward the receptacle as if to cast her offering there, only a listening heart could have heard the sound of two feather light coins and caught their meaning. "She has given more with her two pennies than all the others," Christ spoke of the message of the moment, "for she has given all she has." The message was of authenticity. It was the message of a sacrificial life and a loving heart. It was one of humility and ultimate value. It was the honoring of a life that no one else saw, of a heart no one else heard.
We all have need to be noticed and known and to be affirmed in that knowing. We all long for someone to hear our heart and care. It is only as we recognize our own need that we can know the need of others and understand the hidden language of their soul. Lingering in the moment attunes us to the message that it holds. Sadness in one's spirit is always shrouded in silence that cannot be heard if we hurry past. If we listen only a person's anger or curtness, we may miss the message of a disappointed or neglected heart.
As we train ourselves to be fully present in the moment and listen to the messages it holds, we may find that such a small and simple gift may become an offering of life in the repository of an empty soul. Cast what you have into the temple coffers of those about you. It may be the greatest gift of all.