Widow's Mite

I did a funeral recently for a fellow who had some good and some not so good in him during his life.  Some people at the funeral admired him, but many had scar tissue from past hurts.  I addressed this issue using the bible story of the widow who put all she had into the temple treasury basket, a few pennies.  Each of us can give only what we have and sometimes we have not much to give in terms of love and kindness.  We all have our widow's mite of love and for some people it is not enough.  So they are resentful.  How will these people live after this funeral?  To resent is to feel something over and over long after the events have passed and people have died.  You will always remember events, but you don't have to keep feeling the pain.  How?  You have to learn forgiveness and compassion.  It might start out as your own widow's mite, not much of forgiveness to give.  But you try and eventually the resentment begins to lose its power and you begin to accept.  On the back of the picture prayer card at the funeral was the serenity prayer.  It is what alcoholics in recovery say frequently because they are dealing with resentments that they know will destroy them if they do not forgive and move on.  We are all human beings.  We are not perfect.  I hope God will forgive me for my widow's mite of love and kindness when I die.  I try each day to do the best I can.  We cannot give what we do not have.