ENOUGH ALREADY?
“It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath…” - Lk. 4:26
Waking this morning, I sense that I am a little off.
So I sit.
And, in that space, I feel a gentle invitation to be still. Over weeks of constant activity, the regular rhythm of my prayer has slipped, my heartbeat off sync with that of my Beloved. So, I pause a little longer, in hopes of resetting and reconnecting to this Source of Life.
Re-reading today’s scriptures, I recall Naaman and the narrative about the unaccepted prophet. However, it is this nondescript widow that strikes me. She, with whom Elijah stays throughout a three-year famine. She, who with her son, is barely scraping by. She fears that using the remaining scraps of her flour and drops of her oil would mean death for them all.
We don’t know this widow’s name, but here is her story. Elijah asks her to worry not about the lack of flour or oil, only for her to make bread. He reassures her that it would be enough. And guess what? They have bread for years.
Whenever I am disconnected from the Source of Life, doubt can creep in. At work, I wonder if what I do is enough. In my relationships, I wonder if who I am is enough. When I write these reflections, I wonder if what my words are enough.
Is there enough flour or oil?
This widow invites me to reset and reconnect. Once centered on me, my thoughts and prayer drift towards God, and I worry less about what is enough. My past informs my present.
There has always been enough flour and oil.
The heartbeat of my prayer is still a little off. It takes more than just one morning. However, a little more, the rhythm of my prayer begins to sync with my Beloved’s once again…
Eddie Ngo