Pennies from Heaven

Woke up this morning to an unseasonably cold May morning.  I actually turned the heat on because it was going to be in the high 40's, low 50's this morning.  I hear the birds singing outside and it is quiet in our home.  I love that.  Ginger is sleeping peacefully, looking truly like an angel with the sunlight coming in our windows, beaming down upon her.  God's way of shining on one of the biggest blessings in my life.

At work I'm known for picking up the pennies in the apartments we make ready.  People leave and I've found they leave their pennies.  I mean, it's only one cent right?   The smallest denomination in our currency.  I mean, people will pick up a dollar (or more), they'll pick up quarters, they might pick up dimes and nickels, but pennies, they are a dime a dozen (or should I say a hundred to a dollar?).  The other people on the crew, for the most part, leave them behind as well, some know that I go around and pick them up.  It takes such a small amount of time to pick them up and put them in my pocket.  Sometimes I'll find other coins, hidden behind trash or refrigerators, but for the most part it's the pennies. 

If you look at the picture above, you'll see what I've accumulated in a couple months.  Sometimes I find a couple, a couple of time's I've found quite a few in a jar or cup.  I put them in a container and bring them home and put them in my drawer.  So today I got them all together and this is what I came up with, the fruit of my labor.  Now all told, that is probably less than ten dollars in coins right there.  But there is a spiritual lesson lurking here, at least what God is speaking to me in my heart.  How often do we overlook the little blessings that God gives us?  Sure, we see the big blessings.  Ginger is a priceless jewel.  As I've told her, with her, I've won the lottery.  I don't need a 100 million dollars, I have her, and no big mansion, or expensive car, or whatever is worth what she is to me.  My soberiety and Ginger's stability, those are both big blessings.  But what about the everyday blessings, the one's we tend to overlook?  For example, I mentioned the birds singing earlier.  I can hear that.  I can see it.  I get to witness a piece of God's creation, enjoy it with a right mind.  How often do we overlook such things as our senses, then again just ask someone who is blind, or deaf, and ask what that would be worth to them to have that?  Makes you think.  Ginger tells me all the time one of the things that is most important to her is a clear mind.  And when she gets that each day she is thankful.  Do we take moments to reflect, to look back and see all the blessings we've accumulated from God, or do we leave the pennies on the ground, discarded, only looking for the big things from God?  I mean, just material wise, I'm looking around the apartment right now.  There is the couch, a wedding gift from Mom and Dad.  The coffee table, from Ginger's sister.  A huge TV, a gift from good friends of ours.  The stereo from Ginger's Dad (a NICE stereo).  The desk this computer is on, new, abandoned in an apartment.  The quilt my Mom made me, made out of love and a reminder of the love and forgiveness in my new life in recovery.  And let's look beyond the material.  The love that Ginger and I have for each other, and the walk with God we share with each other.  We are both healthy, I'm sober, Ginger is stable.  How about the blessing of my inlaws loving me as a son and my parents loving Ginger as a daughter?  How about a church we love to go to and we get fed from?  The food in the pantry?  The jobs we have, the cars we drive.  See how the list can go on if we just take a minute to stop, gather it all together and just look?  What seems like a penny to us may be a dollar to another, or winning the lottery for that matter.  Sure, I could get on the I want more train.  I want a better TV, a better car, etc. etc.  Nah.  We love our simple life because it is so full of blessings.  Even in the valley's we find thankfulness.  Because when you look back, over the hills and the valley's you see how God carried you on His wings, how with the little (and big) blessings He sustained you, gave you comfort, or peace, or joy.  How much are those things worth?  So take time today to look around and gather your pennies, and nickels, dimes, and quarters of what God has done for you.  You might be surprised to see how it all adds up....

Baa