Last Thursday, I found a penny in the parking lot at Walmart. It was laying at the corner of my car in a spot where I had to walk right by it, to get to my door. Big deal, right? It's not unusual to find coins on a parking lot.
What made this different?
That morning, as I drove to Walmart before I going to work, I had prayed, thanking God for all He has done for me – His Provision, Protection, Salvation, Rescuing, Comforting, His carrying me thru tough times...and I thanked Him especially for putting pennies in uncommon places, as a reminder to me that I can trust Him. I told God that I knew some people might think I’m crazy for thinking the pennies I find are from Him, but I know they are. Too many times I’ve found a penny at just the right moment, when I really needed to be reminded that He is with me.
When I found that penny Thursday morning, just after my prayer of gratitude, I knew, once again, He was very clearly showing me how much I’m loved and that He sees me, and He cares about what concerns me. Wow! What did I ever do to deserve that? Not one thing. It's just that I am His daughter and He loves me.
When I got to work, I was so excited, I needed to tell someone, so I picked my friend, Tina. She gets the penny thing because God uses pennies for her, too. We celebrated His goodness and then tried to go back to work.
Well, yesterday, Thursday February 1st, I had an issue on one my files and was feeling a little frustrated. So, I stopped, and picked up this little paperback devotional book that Tina had shared with me. I flipped it open randomly, and it opened to a devotional about Growing Gratitude. I read the first paragraph –
Would you like to cultivate a greater sense of gratitude? George Herbert, a seventeenth-century British poet, encourages readers toward that goal in his poem “Gratefulness”.
“Thou that hast given so much to me, give one thing more: a grateful heart.”
I immediately, stopped and thought about how much God has always blessed me. In that moment, I sat at my desk, 68 years old, feeling healthy and strong. My mind is clear, I really have no aches or pains, and I am physically and mentally able to work every day. I realized what a blessing my good health has been, because not everyone is given that particular blessing.
I showed Tina the quote from George Herbert and thanked her for leaving that little booklet for me to pick up.
Fast forward an hour … I went to the restroom, and as I started to enter one of the stalls, there on the floor were 3 pennies and a dime.
I couldn’t believe it! I had just acknowledge how much God has blessed me, and then He gave me a little hug – three hugs actually, and I didn’t know what the dime was about, but hey, I’ll take anything He gives me.
I rushed back to Tina and dragged her into the restroom to see my "message from God". We looked at the coins on the floor and laughed, but then, here is the best part! Tina told me that after I had shared my Walmart penny story, she was driving to work and praying. As she talked to God, she said, "Lord, You gave Carol that penny to let her know You heard her prayer. Would You give me a dime?” Oh my goodness!
The dime was for my friend, Tina. We could hardly contain ourselves!
What I have taken away from these two penny stories is God wants me to have a heart of Gratitude. He wants me to acknowledge what all He does for me every day. Not because he needs to hear it, but because I need to remember that all good things come from Him. And practicing Gratitude is an act of worship.
I may be on my deathbed tomorrow, but today, I’m healthy. Thank You, Father! Each moment is a gift from Him. He puts up with my ignoring Him and my taking everything He gives me without ever saying, thank You, Father, I know that was You! Thank You!” How long does it take to acknowledge how good He is in every circumstance we face? He bails us out of life struggles, and we don’t even realize it is Him. Or maybe, He reminds us with a penny on the floor, that He is always with us and faithful, so faithful.
One of my favorite verses (I have many) reminds me that I have a loving Father who stoops down to help me walk, He picks me up when I fall. He never makes me feel unloved even when I don’t act very lovable. As a mom, I understand that kind of patience and love for my children, but His love is so much deeper than even that love I feel for my family.
Hosea 11:3 New Living Translation (NLT)
“When Israel was a child, I loved him,
and I called my son out of Egypt.
2 But the more I called to him,
the farther he moved from me,
offering sacrifices to the images of Baal
and burning incense to idols.
3 I myself taught Israel how to walk,
leading him along by the hand.
But he doesn’t know or even care
that it was I who took care of him.
4 I led Israel along
with my ropes of kindness and love.
I lifted the yoke from his neck,
and I myself stooped to feed him.
and I called my son out of Egypt.
2 But the more I called to him,
the farther he moved from me,
offering sacrifices to the images of Baal
and burning incense to idols.
3 I myself taught Israel how to walk,
leading him along by the hand.
But he doesn’t know or even care
that it was I who took care of him.
4 I led Israel along
with my ropes of kindness and love.
I lifted the yoke from his neck,
and I myself stooped to feed him.
What a beautiful picture of a Father with his willful, selfish children. Amazing love, we can't even begin to comprehend.
I want to have a grateful heart so that I never forget that it was and is God who carries me thru the good times, and the not so good times. And although it is much easier to see the "good things" as blessings, He tells us to be thankful in ALL things. I don't want anyone who is struggling with health issues, or family problems, to think, even for a moment, that God isn't blessing them, just as He is blessing me. Sometimes the greatest blessings are life struggles that draw us closer to Him, or become a tool that we can use to testify to others about His faithfulness. I have seen the most powerful witnesses for Christ in my dear friends who are struggling with health issues. Their faith strengthens my faith. Some of our most godly forefathers were blessed with terrible struggles - they testified until the end of their lives. And we remember their faithfulness thru those struggles. They knew Jesus, and they trusted His love thru every lash, every stoning, even until death. God loved those people and He loves us. If He allows a struggle in our lives, as He did with our forefathers, and He most certainly will at one point or another, we can trust that He has purpose for that struggle that will outweigh the pain, the moment you step into His Presence. We have no idea what He has planned for us, but He shows us His great love every day, if we just look for it. We can trust that Love, and know that love will carry us thru any struggle.
In all things, give thanks.
"Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness." Colossians 2:7
"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful." Colossians 3:15
"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Colossians 4:2
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” James 1:17
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Philippians 4:6
"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.” Psalm 103:1-5
"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18
"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” Psalm 107:1
"Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” Ephesians 5:20
Coram Deo
