My mom forwarded this story to me the other day. I liked the message so very well I thought it needed to find its way to our blog.
I always stop and pick up pennies I find because
of a poem I've heard:
See a Penny, pick it up and all the day you'll have Good Luck.
See a Penny, leave it lie and Good Luck will pass you by.
I have never heard this one before and I think
it a better reason for picking up pennies.
Pennies
You always hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk
being good luck, gifts from angels, etc. This is the first
time I've ever heard this twist on the story. Gives you
something to think about.
Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were
invited to spend the weekend at the husband's employer's
home. My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend.. The
boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and
cars costing more than her house. The first day and evening
went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare
glimpse into how the very wealthy live. The husband's
employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the
finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the
opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again,
so was enjoying herself immensely. As the three of them
were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening,
the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her
husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement
for a long, silent moment. Arlene wondered if she was
supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except
a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few
cigarette butts Still silent, the man reached down and
picked up the penny. He held it up and smiled, then put it
in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure.
How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why
would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?
Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally,
she could stand it no longer. She casually mentioned that
her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the
penny he had found had been of some value. A smile crept
across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the
penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many
pennies before! What was the point of this?
'Look at it.' He said. 'Read what it says.'
She read the words ' United States of America '
'No, not that; read further.'
'One cent?'
'No, keep reading.'
'In God we Trust?'
'Yes!'
'And?'
'And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a
coin. Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. It is
written on every single United States coin, but we never
seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me
telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by? When I see
a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that
moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do
trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as
if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a
conversation with me. Lucky for me , God is patient and
pennies are plentiful!'
When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk.
I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying
and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the
words, 'In God We Trust,' and had to laugh. Yes, God, I get the
message. It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number
of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful!
And, God is patient..
My parents recently spent some time at our nation's capitol. They had the opportunity of visiting the Lincoln Memorial during their stay. Knowing of my 6-year-old son's thirst for knowledge, they collected some brochures from the area and mailed them to him upon their return home. Along with the brochures what do you suppose Grandpa sent his grandson? A penny, taped to a piece of paper with the instructions for my son to borrow his dad's magnifying glass to examine the back of the penny. Grandpa wondered if he could discover President Lincoln sitting inside the monument. We did indeed find Old Abe and upon further examination, what would you suppose we found? "In God We Trust." Message received! Thank you Grandpa for the $7.00 mailing of a simple cent.
