Giving It All
Giving It All
By Kathy Penrod
My son used to run cross country. He was very dedicated to it and had the mind of a runner. He made sure to carb load before a meet, he did his stretches, he focused his mind. And then he ran. He ran with everything he had. He ran through rain and streams and mud and cold. It didn’t stop him. He kept running. I would cheer him on through the course and then hurry over to the finish line where I would wait for him. And wait. I waited as I watched the faster runners surge across the finish line. I waited as the faster runners began to reunite with family, receiving congratulatory pats on the back. I waited as people began to drift away.
And then I would see my son. Still running. Still giving everything he had. Still plodding forward. He wasn’t last, but he was a long way from first. However, I was so proud of him because he was giving it everything he had. He kept going. Even though he wasn’t the fastest runner, he was still on the team and still respected. Because he tried. He taught me about perseverance and dedication. He taught me to give my all in life.
Jesus Christ taught about this principle when he sat at the temple, observing the widow cast in her two mites. He said to his disciples that she had cast in more than everyone because, in her want, she cast in all that she had. (Mark 12:41-44) She was giving her whole heart. She was giving her whole self.
In life, we often fail. We mess up. We make mistakes. And frequently we are hard on ourselves because of that. But just because we fail, doesn’t mean we are failures. And just because we make mistakes, doesn’t mean we are lost.
What our Savior asks of us is to give our all. Give our heart to Him. Give Him our full selves without holding back. And keep trying. Keep plodding forward.
On Sunday, my dear Bishop (who happens to also be my husband) reminded the congregation that the Lord sees our efforts. He recognizes when we are trying our best. And He accepts it. Just like the widow, He accepts our offering when we give all we have.
We don’t have to be first place or the best. Our offering to Him doesn’t have to look like everyone else’s offering. It is just ours to give Him.
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf said,
“Jesus taught that our offering may be large or it may be small, but either way, it must be our heartfelt all.”
Similar to how I was so proud of my son for trying his hardest, for giving everything he had, so it is with how Jesus Christ views our efforts. He is proud of us for trying. He is proud of us when we give it all.
Elder O. Vincent Haleck taught,
“The heart of the widow who gave her two mites is a heart that will give all by making sacrifices; by enduring hardship, persecution, and rejection; and by bearing burdens of many kinds. The heart of the widow is a heart that senses, feels, and knows the light of truth and will give anything to embrace that truth. It also helps others to see that same light and come to the same measure of eternal happiness and joy. Finally, the heart of the widow is defined by a willingness to give all for building up the kingdom of God on the earth.”
To give our whole heart to Jesus Christ, we will most likely need to sacrifice something. We will need to give up those things that separate us from Him. Giving our whole heart requires that we embrace the truth and live His gospel. We can know that as we give all we have to the Lord, He will make up for our want. He will balance the scales.
If we, in our want, give all we have to Him. He will bless us abundantly and fill our want.
I testify that Jesus Christ accepts our offerings when we hold nothing back. He is cheering us on to reach that finish line. If we just keep plodding forward and doing our best, He will accept our effort and be ready to greet us with open arms.
