Brighten Your Day

After all of these years I still find myself picking up pennies I find on the ground. When I was a child I always delighted in seeing those little, brown circles on the sidewalk. I would save them up and when I had enough buy a pack of gum or even a bag of chips. Of course, that was when things cost a lot less than they do today. I’d also heard several times growing up that God, His angels, and even our departed loved ones sometimes would leave pennies on the ground in front of us as a sign that we were loved and watched over from above. I never doubted that story even as an adult. After all, it is rare that you find a nickel, dime, or quarter on the ground but pennies are there all the time. Maybe that is why I still enjoy seeing them and picking them up no matter how dirty or grimy they are.

A few months ago I was walking to the local post office to mail a letter to a friend of mine. As I started down the sidewalk to the door I saw not one, not two, but four separate pennies shining in the sunlight. I smiled, bent down, and picked them up. I kept them in my hand as I walked in the door. Inside a lady was digging through her purse at the counter desperately looking for change to mail a package to her daughter. She was exactly four cents short. I laughed to myself at this minor miracle and placed my pennies from Heaven on the counter. The smile I got in return was worth a thousand dollars.

Every small act of kindness, every little, loving gesture, every moment of compassion and sharing is a treasure in the eyes of God and blesses the world around us. Always pass on your pennies from Heaven then. Always share the love in your heart and the love you get from others. Always make your life here a gift. It is a joyous way to live. It is a Heavenly way to live. It is the best way to live.