A Penny's Worth of Love


By Marcia K. Leaser

November 3, 2007

 

 

            I had just finished reading a book about a little girl who was being abused by her father.  It brought back painful memories I thought I'd put to rest.  Funny how a few words on a page can cause thoughts of abandon that take you right back to where you were many years before, with all the shame and sorrow it contained. 

            In the book, the little girl found a wheat-leaf penny embedded in the blacktop of a parking lot.  She dug it out and held it in her hand.  She imagined herself in the palm of God's hand... safe and warm; as the penny was in hers. 

            I was feeling emotions I'd not felt in years; sad painful memories that took over and soon had me wrapped in a cocoon of sorrow.  Getting groceries was next on my list and I drove as in a fog to the little market in our small country town. 

            When I went to pay, I looked into the bowl of pennies that always sat by the cash register to cover the one or two cents beyond the even amount due. 

            My breath caught in my throat and an unexpected smile quickly covered my face. There- right on top of the other coins was a wheat-leaf penny. 

            I picked it up and held it in the palm of my hand.  It actually felt warm.

            On the way home I held the penny tightly, because I knew God had put it there just for me.  Just for me, so I would know how much He loves me.  He wanted me to know that I was safe and warm in the palm of His hand; far away from the painful memories of the past. 

           Today, that penny sits on my windowsill above the sink so I'll never forget God's kindness.  How He put a tiny penny within my grasp to let me know no matter how far into shame I find myself... He's there showing His mighty love for me in little ways. 

.

 

 

 



« Back to Stories & Plays