Thursday, March 11: “The Penny”
Luke 15:8-9
New Revised Standard Version: Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’
The Message (Version): Or imagine a woman who has ten coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and scour the house, looking in every nook and cranny until she finds it? And when she finds it you can be sure she’ll call her friends and neighbors: ‘Celebrate with me! I found my lost coin!’
Did you know it currently cost more to make a penny than $.01? There are lobbyist groups who work to have the penny put out of a job. They have very good arguments saying, “The penny is now worth so little that nobody even picks it up off the ground, despite the old “lucky penny” adage.”
I wonder what they would say to the woman in today’s story if she was searching her house for 10 pennies? Would they say she was silly to rejoice over such a “worthless” find? Or… is the story not really about money at all?
Today, remember that you may feel at times as insignificant as a penny is to some people. God, however, is constantly trying to light your way, clean your life, and seek you out so that you know your real priceless worth.
Question: What are you worth?
Human beings are wired to be social. We are connected to others simply by being alive. I think our worth is tied to our relationships and the impact we have on others. Sometimes we forget or fail to recognize how important we are to those around us. This story reminds us that God values who we are and uses us in ways we may not even realize.
I remember a few weeks ago Stan was talking about this in his sermon. I remember thinking I’m not worth much at all, but after that day I realized that everyone in this world is priceless.
Once at communion someone told me that I am God’s creation and He is proud of me. That really made me feel great. i pass that on to you Becky.