Pennies offer lesson that little things make big difference

"But a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny."

- Mark 12:42 (NIV)

Years ago, I had a frustrating encounter with pennies. It seemed they were turning up everywhere. The frustrating part was I had to stop what I was doing whenever I encountered one.

When they appeared during my daily chores, they carried the extra burden of interrupting my flow, as I had to bend, grab, reach or stoop to get them out of my way.

"Not another one," I thought as I grabbed the broom to sweep a penny from under the kitchen chair.

Wash day brought with it more pennies. As I lifted the clothes from the washer, I looked down in the drum to see two shiny pennies staring back at me.

While retrieving clothes from the dryer, more turned up. "How did I miss those pennies after the washing machine?" I shook my head.

Pennies were multiplying everywhere in an abundance. As fast as I picked them up, they appeared. It was as if they were following me around. I found them in the bathroom, under couch cushions, on table tops, behind doors and in the driveway.

I discovered them on the kitchen floor, the bathroom floor and under the kids' beds. I even found those small copper coins on the floor of my car.

And I couldn't believe what was happening when I was constantly scooping them from out of the bottom of my purse.

The more pennies I had to deal with, the more exasperated I became. For some reason I was not viewing these coins with the face of Abe Lincoln as pennies from heaven.

Then one day, while cleaning under the couch cushions, I had a new insight about these tiny bothers. I felt God was showing me I needed an attitude change regarding this loose change. Instead of viewing pennies as irritating, I used a little heaven-sent ingenuity.

I ran to the kitchen and searched the cabinets to see if I could find an old jar. I started filling it with pennies. I rejoiced when the day came that my jar was full and I took it to the bank and cashed my copper coins in for $60. It was as if heaven was supplying me with the blessing of my own personal piggy bank.

And all the bending, stooping and reaching was paying dividends to my waistline as well.

In the Bible, a widow dropped two small coins in the offering. These coins were less significant in value than a penny. Jesus commented she gave more than those who could afford a big offering, because she gave them with the right heart attitude.

God views the small things in life different from how we do. What I considered an annoyance, He considered an opportunity. I discovered if we keep our attitudes right, He can do a lot with a little.

• Annettee Budzban is an author, speaker, life coach, nurse and Bible teacher. Contact her for information on her Writing for Fun or Profit conference, which will be from noon to 3 p.m. Feb. 29 in Libertyville. Annettee is available to speak to your church group, business, civic organization or be your personal life coach. She can be contacted at Annetteebudzban@aol.com or (847) 543-8413.