See a Penny

The other day I saw a penny in a place I didn’t expect it to be. I went to pick it up and paused to smile. It reminded me of the story a gal named Susan told me about the worth of pennies. When she was little her father was gone a lot on business.  He had told her to look for pennies on the ground.  When she found one, he explained, it was a sign from him that he was thinking of her.

See a penny pick it up - All day long you'll have good luck! 

Wisegeek.com details the origin of the penny and the idea of it bringing good luck: The idea that finding a penny will bring good luck comes from superstition and folklore. There isn’t usually any scientific backing for the claim, and at least from a methodical position the simple act of finding a penny cannot itself change someone’s fortunes; its the hope that it could and the belief that it might that has become  ingrained in many cultural traditions. Children in most English-speaking regions learn variations of the rhyme “see a penny, pick it up, and all day long you’ll have good luck”. From the time children are small, and even many adults, pick up “lucky pennies” by habit, whether or not they consider themselves “superstitious” in the traditional sense. The precise origins of the belief are somewhat difficult to nail down, though explanations range from early beliefs about where metal came from to the notion that money symbolizes power.

Susan’s story continues:

When Susan was a grown woman and going through a hard time someone was praying for her and told her that God wanted her to tell her something:  “I’m giving you a penny”.  The person asked if she knew what that meant.  Susan began to cry and instantly knew everything would be alright.  She told the person the story of her father and now her Heavenly Father was assuring her, in a very personal way only she would understand, that He was with her.  

Pennies don’t hold much real value in today’s world but for the person that has a special connection to them, they are priceless. This is true of our connection to God. We are priceless to Him and worth picking up. There maybe millions of us in this world but He sees each one of us. Just like money is a symbolic deposit of a promise God reminds us of His promises in various ways that are personal to each of us.  

I really like the phrase in the wisegeek.com explanation that reads, “the simple act of finding a penny cannot itself change someone’s fortunes; its the hope that it could and the belief that it might”. Hope and belief in God to have the power to change our lives is the value found in His promises. We see in the stock market that the value of money changes everyday and changes from country to country.  Wealth can come in many different forms but God never changes and His promises never end. It’s only in Him we find the true wealth of life. So next time you see a penny, go ahead and pick it up. Remember that God loves you and keeps His promises. Then put it back for someone else to find and be blessed.

 **Lord, thank you for pennies. Thank you for Susan’s testimony reminding us of our worth in your eyes. Forgive me for thinking any part of my life is my doing for I declare that You are my provider and you work all things for good. I lay aside luck and put my faith in You!! I know you hold the power and you are the origin of everything. Please help me see the “pennies” you give me everyday that remind me of your love. **

“You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth and so confirms that His covenant, which He swore to your ancestors, is also for today.” Deuteronomy 8:17-18 New International Version (NIV)

Click here for link to see How Pennies are Made