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- Feb 9, 2004
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Pennies From Heaven
- June 02, 2005
It was one of those balmy, picture-perfect days in early September as I took a late afternoon break from work to go to a nearby bread shop. It was one of those rare days for me this year. The sunshine, the greenery, the warmth and stillness of the day reflected the special joy I felt. It just made my heart sing.
As I parked the car and got out to enter the store, my eyes were drawn to the ground. Why, there was a penny! As I picked it up, I was reminded of an experience I'd heard of recently. Quickly, it flashed back in its entirety across my mind and heart.
The story was told of a man who had given his heart to the Lord after living a riotous, wicked life. Much of his life was spent with his head hanging low, feeling the weight of his world on his shoulders. With his newfound faith and relationship with God, he began walking with a spring in his step and a lilt in his spirit. He found it especially delightful to walk with his head held high.
One day, however, a well-meaning elder Christian, noting this man's head held high, took him aside and admonished him to walk with a posture of humility. So, in the spirit of obedience and with a desire to walk in humility, the gentleman decided to return to his original posture and look to the ground again. To his surprise, he discovered that lots of pennies could be found just by looking at the ground. Relating his find, he told of how God used this opportunity to illustrate a spiritual lesson to him. The pennies were symbolic of all the little blessings that God sends to His children every day. However, most people don't discover these small blessings because they are so occupied with looking upward for the big miracles, that they miss the little things that God does to brighten each and every day.
After the momentary replay of this illustration in my mind, I entered the store with five dollars to spend on bread for the week. As I entered the store, there were the usual bargains displayed. The first item I spotted was a loaf of English muffin bread. Knowing how much everyone in our family loved English muffin bread toasted for breakfast, my first impulse was to pick it up. But my silent response was, "No, that wouldnt be practical. We need bread for sandwiches."
Moving down the isle, I spotted powdered donuts. Because our family had been on a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet for medical reasons since the beginning of the year, I quickly said to myself, Oh, these would be a great treat for the girls' lunches. They've not had donuts in so long. But practicality stepped in and quickly spoke, "No, you need bread, so skip the donuts."
I proceeded further only to find fat-free hot dog buns on sale! They surely would be a wise buy. Since we had the fat-free hot dogs at home and these buns would help complete a quick evening meal, it seemed logical to get them. Again I heard those daunting words, "That would not practical. You only have five dollars. Pass it up!" In an effort to be delivered from any additional tempting purchases, I conceded and quickly grabbed four loaves of bread so that I could return to work.
As I placed the bread on the check-out counter and prepared to pay for my disciplined purchase, the clerk asked me if I had their current bread stamp card. I was sure I had something from previous purchases, although it had been a very long time since my last visit to the little shop. During a quick, thorough search through a handful of paraphernalia, the clerk spotted my old tattered card. There was no need to hand it over, as the clerk grabbed it out of my hand and with a big smile replied, Oh, we honor these too! Still stunned by the clerk's response, I asked, "What's it good for?" The clerk replied, "Our new cards are good for a dollar off your purchase when they are filled. However, this is our old card and since its filled, you can pick out any loaf of bread, a package of donuts, and a bag of hot dog or hamburger buns."
In that moment, it seemed like Christmas had come! Every item I had originally spotted and wished for but couldn't get was suddenly and unexpectedly available and accessible at no charge to me through a simple old card I'd long forgotten that I had. All I had to do was go get them. Exuberant, face aglow, and lit up with a smile, I clapped my hands together and in joy, like a child who had just gotten a new toy, I chased after my English muffin bread, powdered donuts, and fat-free hot dog buns.
My heart was full of glee and a giggle cam from my lips as I headed toward the car. A spontaneous, tickling outburst of, "Thank you, Lord" resounded from my lips as it bounced heavenward.
In that moment, God so gently and tenderly spoke to my spirit and replied in a voice that was softer than a whisper, "This is your penny from Heaven for today."
In the gentle quietness of that moment, my view of life was refocused again. It had been nine very difficult months filled with my husband's six-bypass surgery, his sister's surgery and divorce, my surgery, his mothers stroke, the blood clot in my older brothers foot that led to amputation, and my youngest brother's farming accident that threatened his life and resulted in the loss of most of his right arm. Six months prior to the beginning of that year, my 37-year-old sister, whom I cherished as my best friend, had lost her valiant fight with cancer that had ravaged her body and spirit.
God had visited me! What a wonderful, unexpected and delightful visit we'd just had. The excitement of that moment and the transformation of my spirit continued on as I resumed my daily routine, which included working late and another trip to the hospital to visit my dear mother-in-law on my way home.
That evening, after my husband and daughters were in a soft slumber, I tiptoed into the kitchen to pack each of their lunches for the next day. I felt like Santa that night as I put a donut in each of the girls' lunches and a note in my husband's lunch. Since powdered sugared donuts were not permitted in his diet, hed been given an invitation to share in a time of quiet reflection later that evening. We could look at the pennies he'd found during his day and I could share the pennies I had found. Although each penny we'd view would have a special look all its own, we could still delight in comparing copper.
The sugar on the donuts would not be nearly as sweet as the message sent in the hidden notes at the bottom of each family member's lunch bag, explaining that pennies from Heaven were special blessings sent by God to brighten each and every day. I couldn't wait for tomorrow to come! Oh, what a prize they'd find!!
Contributed by Sandra Hall
- June 02, 2005
It was one of those balmy, picture-perfect days in early September as I took a late afternoon break from work to go to a nearby bread shop. It was one of those rare days for me this year. The sunshine, the greenery, the warmth and stillness of the day reflected the special joy I felt. It just made my heart sing.
As I parked the car and got out to enter the store, my eyes were drawn to the ground. Why, there was a penny! As I picked it up, I was reminded of an experience I'd heard of recently. Quickly, it flashed back in its entirety across my mind and heart.
The story was told of a man who had given his heart to the Lord after living a riotous, wicked life. Much of his life was spent with his head hanging low, feeling the weight of his world on his shoulders. With his newfound faith and relationship with God, he began walking with a spring in his step and a lilt in his spirit. He found it especially delightful to walk with his head held high.
One day, however, a well-meaning elder Christian, noting this man's head held high, took him aside and admonished him to walk with a posture of humility. So, in the spirit of obedience and with a desire to walk in humility, the gentleman decided to return to his original posture and look to the ground again. To his surprise, he discovered that lots of pennies could be found just by looking at the ground. Relating his find, he told of how God used this opportunity to illustrate a spiritual lesson to him. The pennies were symbolic of all the little blessings that God sends to His children every day. However, most people don't discover these small blessings because they are so occupied with looking upward for the big miracles, that they miss the little things that God does to brighten each and every day.
After the momentary replay of this illustration in my mind, I entered the store with five dollars to spend on bread for the week. As I entered the store, there were the usual bargains displayed. The first item I spotted was a loaf of English muffin bread. Knowing how much everyone in our family loved English muffin bread toasted for breakfast, my first impulse was to pick it up. But my silent response was, "No, that wouldnt be practical. We need bread for sandwiches."
Moving down the isle, I spotted powdered donuts. Because our family had been on a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet for medical reasons since the beginning of the year, I quickly said to myself, Oh, these would be a great treat for the girls' lunches. They've not had donuts in so long. But practicality stepped in and quickly spoke, "No, you need bread, so skip the donuts."
I proceeded further only to find fat-free hot dog buns on sale! They surely would be a wise buy. Since we had the fat-free hot dogs at home and these buns would help complete a quick evening meal, it seemed logical to get them. Again I heard those daunting words, "That would not practical. You only have five dollars. Pass it up!" In an effort to be delivered from any additional tempting purchases, I conceded and quickly grabbed four loaves of bread so that I could return to work.
As I placed the bread on the check-out counter and prepared to pay for my disciplined purchase, the clerk asked me if I had their current bread stamp card. I was sure I had something from previous purchases, although it had been a very long time since my last visit to the little shop. During a quick, thorough search through a handful of paraphernalia, the clerk spotted my old tattered card. There was no need to hand it over, as the clerk grabbed it out of my hand and with a big smile replied, Oh, we honor these too! Still stunned by the clerk's response, I asked, "What's it good for?" The clerk replied, "Our new cards are good for a dollar off your purchase when they are filled. However, this is our old card and since its filled, you can pick out any loaf of bread, a package of donuts, and a bag of hot dog or hamburger buns."
In that moment, it seemed like Christmas had come! Every item I had originally spotted and wished for but couldn't get was suddenly and unexpectedly available and accessible at no charge to me through a simple old card I'd long forgotten that I had. All I had to do was go get them. Exuberant, face aglow, and lit up with a smile, I clapped my hands together and in joy, like a child who had just gotten a new toy, I chased after my English muffin bread, powdered donuts, and fat-free hot dog buns.
My heart was full of glee and a giggle cam from my lips as I headed toward the car. A spontaneous, tickling outburst of, "Thank you, Lord" resounded from my lips as it bounced heavenward.
In that moment, God so gently and tenderly spoke to my spirit and replied in a voice that was softer than a whisper, "This is your penny from Heaven for today."
In the gentle quietness of that moment, my view of life was refocused again. It had been nine very difficult months filled with my husband's six-bypass surgery, his sister's surgery and divorce, my surgery, his mothers stroke, the blood clot in my older brothers foot that led to amputation, and my youngest brother's farming accident that threatened his life and resulted in the loss of most of his right arm. Six months prior to the beginning of that year, my 37-year-old sister, whom I cherished as my best friend, had lost her valiant fight with cancer that had ravaged her body and spirit.
God had visited me! What a wonderful, unexpected and delightful visit we'd just had. The excitement of that moment and the transformation of my spirit continued on as I resumed my daily routine, which included working late and another trip to the hospital to visit my dear mother-in-law on my way home.
That evening, after my husband and daughters were in a soft slumber, I tiptoed into the kitchen to pack each of their lunches for the next day. I felt like Santa that night as I put a donut in each of the girls' lunches and a note in my husband's lunch. Since powdered sugared donuts were not permitted in his diet, hed been given an invitation to share in a time of quiet reflection later that evening. We could look at the pennies he'd found during his day and I could share the pennies I had found. Although each penny we'd view would have a special look all its own, we could still delight in comparing copper.
The sugar on the donuts would not be nearly as sweet as the message sent in the hidden notes at the bottom of each family member's lunch bag, explaining that pennies from Heaven were special blessings sent by God to brighten each and every day. I couldn't wait for tomorrow to come! Oh, what a prize they'd find!!
Contributed by Sandra Hall
