Pocket Change

In a world where the words billions and trillions are thrown like pocket change, I’m beginning to see more and more value in the purpose of a penny.

The penny, most would consider, something so small, but yet it can stand for something so significant.

I love greeting people at my church and watching as they come in to make themselves feel at home. It wasn’t very long ago that I watched a sweet young mom, who had been struggling with finances, walk in and sit down in the entry way of our church. She dug out a plastic baggy filled with change — pennies, nickels, quarters, and dimes. Then I heard her quietly say, “I’m giving this all to God today.”

My heart melted as tears filled my eyes.

I felt as if I was watching, live and in person, the story told of the widow in Mark 12:41-43.

“Many of the rich were making large contributions. One poor widow came up and put in two small coins—a measly two cents. Jesus called his disciples over and said, ‘The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together. All the others gave what they’ll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn’t afford—she gave her all.'”

That day I began to see my pocket change much differently.

A few days later I walked by a penny on the ground. I saw it and stopped. I thought for a bit. You see, before I wouldn’t have stooped down to pick it up. Actually, I’m not sure that I even would have noticed it. But that day, I remembered my friend giving her all so I reached down and picked it up.

In a world where we are so blessed, how quickly we take our pocket change for granted. We leave it laying on the ground when there just might be a precious one nearby that needs that change for rent, food, or better yet to give to God.

I’m so thankful today for pocket change and how it has changed me.