I absolutely LOVE when people send me penny stories! It happened again today when Joy, a friend from high school (whom facebook has been kind enough to reconnect me with!), sent me the following story.
Her note said:
"I don't know if you are religious or not... but I know how much you love collecting pennies and I thought of you when I read this."
The funny thing is that I've been saying for the past few years how I really feel pennies are The Universe (& God) telling me I'm on the right path.
When I go tot he gym and find a penny...God is telling me he's proud of me for swimming a few laps. When I walk to Target to return a shirt and find a penny...I believe it's The Universe telling me I really didn't need it anyway!
Today I went to the bank to close an account (in an effort to go from three banks to two & simplify my life). Outside the bank I found FIVE pennies. Certainly God was telling me simplifying my life was good thing!
So this story is right in line with my penny beliefs. Whatever your beliefs are, I hope it makes you smile and remember that when you find a penny somewhere...it might be more than just a cent. It might be a message from God!
Cheers!
Lucky PenniesYou 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 husband's employer's home. 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... The 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 that 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?" she tried again."Nope, keep reading." "In God we Trust?" "Yes!" he shouted with delight.She still wasn’t sure where this was going, "And?" she continued."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.
