Archive | November, 2011

A Very Special Message

5 Nov

A friend of mine sent this email today … It was one of those emails that has been forwarded to the ends of the earth and back, so I almost didn’t even read it.  Something drew me to open it and I am so glad I did.  I’ve never seen this one before, and it is a great message!

I have no idea who wrote this, so my apologies to the author.  But this story needs to be read:


Subject:  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 home of her husband’s employer… 
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. Her 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 one 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.

Seeing things God’s way

3 Nov

Last night, we began a short study on Matthew 5, 6, & 7 (the Sermon on the Mount).  I love how Jesus began that discourse with the Beatitudes.  He basically set the tone for the entire sermon by saying “Everything you THINK you know to be true might not be.  You think the meek are downtrodden, but I tell you they will inherit the earth!  You think those that show mercy will be mowed over, but I tell you they will receive mercy!”  And on and on.

Jesus was spurring His disciples to realize that God sees things differently than we see them.  And Jesus would go on in the sermon to tell them exactly what that meant:  “You have heard it is wrong to commit adultery, but I am telling you it is wrong to even LUST after another woman!”  Jesus was telling them all it is our HEART that matters to God.  And if our HEART is in the right place, our actions will be, too!

Some might think it IMPOSSIBLE for us to really see things God’s way.  It would be impossible to see things from His perspective, because none of us actually ARE God!!  (Although some of us might want to be!!)  TRUE … But, why don’t we start praying to see things as God WANTS US to see them???

If we all pray that, it might just change the world!

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