This is Mr. Funky Teacher with BeAFunkyTeacher.com. I'm coming to you with another Be a Funky Teacher podcast. Welcome back to Sunday School for Teachers. Today's episode is called The Widow's Small Acts Still Matter. Before we jump into today's reflection, I want to remind you what Sunday School for Teachers is really about. This is a space each week for my Christian teacher friends, whether you teach in a public school or a private one, to slow down, breathe, and realign your heart with the one who called you to teach. I have deep respect for all educators, including those who don't share my faith. But on Sundays, I intentionally dedicate this episode to openly share how my faith in Jesus shapes me as a teacher, how it grounds me, stretches me, and reminds me that teaching is more than a career—it's a calling. And I'm not a preacher. I'm just a teacher, flawed and messy like anyone else, trying to let God work through me. Because Monday is coming. And before we step into another week, we pause here. We remember who we are, we remember whose we are, and we walk into the week anchored well. Before we dive into today's story, I want to pause and share three things that I'm thankful for with grounding myself in gratitude. I am thankful for small moments that turn into meaningful ones, those everyday interactions that end up sticking with you. I'm also thankful for quiet generosity, the kind that people give without needing recognition. That's the second thing I'm thankful for. And then the third thing that I'm thankful for today is for perspective—the reminder that what seems small can actually have deep value. Well, all right, let's jump in with our scripture and story here. Our story today comes from the book of Mark 12:41–44. This same moment is also recorded in the book of Luke, chapter 21, but we're going to focus on Mark's account as we walk through the story. All right, Jesus is in the temple in Jerusalem. This is near the end of his ministry. People are coming into the temple and placing their offerings into the treasury, a place where people would give money as an act of worship. And Jesus sits down and watches. He doesn't rush past it. He doesn't overlook it. Jesus watches as many wealthy people come and give large amounts. Their gifts are noticeable, visible, and quite impressive. Y’all can imagine the sound of coins dropping—loud, attention-grabbing. And then a poor widow steps forward. A widow that, in that time, had very little—no husband, no steady provision. She was one of the most vulnerable people in society. And she places in two very small coins. Quiet. Easy to miss. Easy to overlook. But Jesus notices. And he calls his disciples over and he says, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.” That would have stopped them, because it doesn’t make sense on the surface. Others gave more. They did. Others were giving more. But Jesus explains. He goes on and says they gave out of their wealth. She gave out of her poverty. They gave what they didn’t need. She gave everything she had. Wow. This story just hits. There’s such a deeper meaning here, y’all. I love this story from the Bible because this moment—it almost gets me choked up just thinking about it. Because this moment is not about the amount. It’s about the heart. It’s about sacrifice. It’s about what it costs the person giving it. See, to everyone else, her gift looked small. To Jesus, it was everything. Because he sees differently. He measures differently. He sees what others miss. As I was preparing for today’s episode and thinking through this story—and I’ve heard it before over the years—but really sitting with it, it choked me up. Because this is such a powerful story. And I see the connection to teachers. This speaks directly into the life of a teacher. Because teaching is full of moments that feel small. A quiet word of encouragement. A check-in. A moment of patience. Helping a student one-on-one. Noticing the student that others overlook. Those moments don’t always get recognized, do they? They don’t show up on a test score. They don’t always get celebrated. And sometimes it can feel like, does this even matter? But the widow reminds us that small does not mean insignificant. In fact, sometimes the smallest acts carry the greatest weight. Especially in the eyes of Jesus. So thinking about the classroom application—what does the widow’s mite look like in your classroom? It looks like choosing patience when you're tired. Showing kindness when it would be easier not to. Giving attention to a student who needs it. Showing up consistently, even when it’s hard. Those things may look small, but they are not small. They are everything because they come from the heart. As I close, I want to say this: Jesus saw what no one else noticed. And that’s the reminder for us as teachers. Even when others don’t see it. Even when it doesn’t feel big. Even when it feels like just another day—what you are doing matters. The small things matter. Will you pray with me? Lord, help me see value in the small things. Help all of us—the funky teachers listening—trust that even our smallest acts of care matter deeply. When we feel unnoticed, remind us that you see everything. When we feel like what we’re doing is small, remind us that you measure differently. Help us give fully, even in the small moments. Amen. Well, as you go into your week, I just want to remind you—the small moments matter. The small things you do matter. They make a difference. And I want you to remember to inspire greatness in young people. And don’t forget to be a funky teacher. Bye now.