The Beggar's Grain of Rice
Theme: Generosity and Giving Our All to God
A poor beggar sat by the roadside with a small bowl containing a handful of rice. He heard the sound of trumpets and saw the magnificent golden chariot of the King approaching. The beggar was thrilled, thinking, Surely the King will stop and give me a chest of gold, and my poverty will end!
The chariot stopped right in front of him. The King stepped down, looked the beggar in the eye, and held out his hand.
"What do you have to give me?" the King asked.
The beggar was shocked and angry. He is the King! Why is he begging from me? Grudgingly, the beggar reached into his bowl, picked out the absolute smallest, tiniest grain of rice he could find, and placed it in the King's palm. The King smiled, thanked him, and rode away.
That evening, the beggar emptied his bowl to eat his meager meal. To his shock, out rolled a single grain of solid, pure gold. It was the exact same size as the grain of rice he had given the King.
The beggar fell to his knees, weeping bitterly. "Oh, why didn't I give him my entire bowl?"
Reflection
God, the King of the Universe, does not need our time, our talents, or our treasure. Yet He asks for them to test our hearts. We are often incredibly stingy with God, giving Him only a few leftover minutes of prayer or a fraction of our trust. But God multiplies whatever we surrender to Him. We will only reap heavenly gold to the extent that we are willing to give.