Mother’s Day, which we celebrate on the second Sunday in May, gives us the opportunity to reflect on the excellence of the gifts we give our loved ones.

From a young age, children are encouraged at school to show their affection to their mothers. Since they don’t have many resources, their manual skills are put to the test to create a drawing as a gift. Though a child might not have mastered his drawing ability or have the notion of proportions, perspective and color combination, he happily does as his teacher asks.

With experience in early childhood education, I had the opportunity to see children hover over their tables for hours, and even days, to turn their love into something palpable to give their heroines. They drew houses, cars, dresses, and what they saw in day-to-day life as their mother’s necessities or dreams.

Usually, on the day we pay homage, we see women come to tears because of a simple sheet of paper. However, do you know why this happens? They can find in this simple gesture the expression of their children’s sincere love. Even when the gift has no monetary value, it may strongly represent the child’s relationship with his mother.

The same applies to the offerings and tithes God asks from us. The Almighty does not essentially look at the monetary value of what we give Him, but the fact that we put Him First in our lives. Through tithes and offerings, each person’s faith becomes evident, because there is no better way to test man than by going into his wallet. Many cling to their money and keep what belongs to the Lord, which gives them a false sense of security. By doing so, they make their unbelieving and petty nature evident, because they do not prioritize the Will of God.

But I ask: if the Lord is rich and is the Owner of everything, why would He need our tithes and offerings? Does He survive or prosper with what we give Him? No, absolutely not!

The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein. Psalms 24.1

His request serves to separate, in a practical and clear way, those who believe in Him from those who do not believe.

After all, before His greatness, what we have is insignificant, and we only have this because He gave it to us.

The value that we place on the Altar is similar to the simple “drawing made by a child”. It may be a small gift, but it holds a profound meaning because it expresses our faithfulness to the One who left us this Teaching. Furthermore, it proves that we believe and trust in God’s ability to provide and care for our lives. Through this tangible demonstration of faith, man helps God evangelize the world, manifesting Himself mightily to meet all the needs of His children.