Wednesday, February 2, 2011 - Pennies from Heaven

     As a morning person, I'm rarely wakened by an alarm clock. After years of hearing the things beep, buzz, blast, chirp and serenade me awake, my body has conditioned itself to wake naturally. However, I still set an alarm just in case because the day I don't set one is the day my body will betray me by pretending it likes to sleep late.

    Everyone needs an alarm for something: reminders, memos, alerts. I love the fact that the oven in this house has a timer that repeats so I don't burn my culinary masterpieces. I appreciate the way my calendar sends me email alerts for the events I've scheduled and planned to attend. I enjoy perusing through old cookbooks and remembering recipes we once loved. It's not that I want to forget important dates, good recipes or masterpieces in the oven, it's simply hard to keep up with even the basics when life continues to throw something new my way.  

    Brother Grant, our pastor at ESBC, started something once that served as a visual alert. He noticed that people throw away pennies or don't bother picking them up when they drop them or see them on the ground. He started picking up pennies when he would find them and reading the inscription "In God We Trust" as a reminder to trust in God. He encouraged us to do the same. Finding a penny became more than a sign of good luck, it became a sacred moment - a time to remember in Whom our trust should be, Who we're living to please, and that the world's value system shouldn't determine what we claim is important. Whether it's a penny, a smile, a bird outside the window, a warm house, sunshine breaking through clouds or simply the hope in our hearts, God' always dropping pennies from heaven to remind us He's there, He loves us, and He knows the plans He has for us.  

Father, open our eyes to see Your signs of love. We're blinded by the rush of life and don't mean to forget or leave You out of the day, but sometimes the day is over before we were ready to begin. Insert Yourself into our day. Build reminders into our hearts so we'll stop and remember to bless You with our remembrance of You.

In the Name of Jesus Who established the Lord's Supper as one of the many alarms to remember You and what You've done for us.

"Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out.

Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it.

Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you." (Romans 12:2, The Message)

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

"Keep your eyes open for GOD, watch for His works;

be alert for signs of His Presence." (Psalm 105:4)

"Look to the LORD and His strength; seek His face always." Psalm 105:4

Inspired by Jesus Calling and Bro. Grant Barber
photo from photobucket.com