And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward, make some for yourself and your son. 
 1 Kings 17:13 NKJV

If you wonder how your small contribution in a world full of big problems will make a difference, you are not alone. When we are in trouble, like the woman in today’s verse, sometimes God comes to our aid in unexpected ways. Maybe that morning, when she saw Elijah coming up the road, she had hopes that He was coming to help her, but instead He came asking for her to do something for him. His request reminds me of our, “Junk mail.” People who we don’t even know, ask us for money for their important projects or needs, and they want us to respond right away! But why was God asking her to bake a cake for a stranger, when she was the one in need? That may seem strange, but sometimes God does the same for us. When we are too busy, He brings us a troubled neighbor. Will we give them a smile, a hug, or a word of encouragement, even when things in our own life seem to be falling apart? The things we give in those situations are the offerings that are most precious to God. Elijah didn’t ask her to bake him a cake, because of selfishness, but because he was following God’s instructions. In fact, Elijah might have felt ashamed to be begging from a widow and she might have been offended by his request. But as they both obeyed, God blessed them, and they both received not only food through the famine, but they also had their story recorded in God’s word, and it is still encouraging us after three thousand years! Remember that your story can encourage someone today. God just may ask you to give away something that you have saved for yourself. Are you willing to give what you have to others even when it seems so small? Are you ready to bake a cake today?