Note: On Tuesdays and some Sundays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.
A full year. They ate for a full year, Elijah, the widow of Zarephath, and her son, on a handful of flour and a little oil, we are told in today’s first lectionary reading from 1 
Kings 17.
The widow had lost hope. She was resigned to starvation for herself and her son. Elijah brought hope. Perhaps more importantly, he brought his faith that the Lord would make good on His promise that the widow would provide for him. And so they all lived.
Sometimes, the light we shine is tangible in the form of food or clothing or financial donations. Sometimes, it’s a smile or a kind word or a hug. And sometimes, our light is such a part of our fabric that we don’t even recognize it. But others do. And it can feed them for a very, very long time.
