I know we have all heard the adage "A Penny for Your Thoughts" or if you find a penny on the sidewalk face up it means "Good Luck" or "A Gift from an Angel" even "A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned" which by today we all should probably be taking alot more serious. Recently an old friend of mine sent me an e-mail story that I had never heard of but after reading it I won't think twice about picking up a penny ever again. So read on and see what you think.....
A friend and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the husband's employer's home. My friend was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealth, with a fine home on the waterfront, and cars costing more than their home.
The first day and evening went well, and she 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. She new 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 her and her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment.
She 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 in 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 has seen many pennies before! What was the point of this?
"look at it". He said. "Read what it says?" She reads the words, "United States of America".
"No, not that, read further" he said.
"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. Fr 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 I 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.
Thought for the Day: If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If he had a wallet, your photo would be in it. He send you flowers every spring. He sends you a sunrise every morning, whether we can see it or not. God didn't promise days without paint, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but he did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way. If God brings you to it, he will being you through it.
I especially like the last part. We have an old glass water bottle that we have had for many years that whenever we have pennies we dump inside of it. I wouldn't be able to even guess how many we have so I like to think maybe without even realizing it I have been saving all God's blessings for a rainy day....
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