What
really matters, though, is not the “how” but the “why.” Some years ago I read
about a man who considered finding a penny on the ground to be a message from
God. The words “In God We Trust” that are stamped on it was God’s way of
reminding him that he could trust God whatever the circumstances of his life. I
liked the idea and adopted it as my own. When I saw a penny, I picked it up and
carried it in my pocket. Every time I touched that penny, I was reminded that I
could trust Him. Eventually that penny would be lost from my pocket, hopefully
for someone else to find and be encouraged. It never ceased to amaze me how God
put those pennies in my path just when I needed them the most.
Some
months ago when I was going through a difficult time here missing my home, family
and friends, I thought about the penny, how much I could use one right then and
how impossible the thought was. No penny appeared, but in other ways God
brought me back to a place of peace. I forgot about the pennies....until today.
In our
Bible study group this afternoon, we were looking at perseverance. We have the
strength to persevere by holding onto God’s promises. God uses hard times to
mature us and changes us as we go through them. We can rejoice in hard times because
we know there is more to come beyond this life. Toward the end of our time, we
talked about those faith heroes mentioned in Hebrews who never received what
they had been promised but still persevered to the end (Hebrews 11:39). I shared with the group
about my oldest son, Clifford, whom I haven’t seen or heard from in over ten
years. Every year that goes by, it gets harder – not easier – to accept. I have
to face the questions, “What if I never see him again before I die? Will I
continue to trust that God is holding him in the palm of His hand? Will I
believe that I will see him in the life to come, if not in this one?" All I
could say was that I want to hold fast, that I hope I will continue to believe
no matter what.
So I
came home….to find a penny at the top of my stairs. All I could do was laugh.
God is so good! What we cannot do on our own, through our strength, He does for
us and in us. The words engraved on the penny, “In God We Trust” are engraved
on my heart, “In God I will trust”. Yes, I will trust the One who loves me and
my son with an unfailing love, who carries my son in the palm of His hand, who
brought reconciliation through His death on the cross to a world separated from
Him by sin. Nothing is too hard for Him.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a
great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off
everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run
with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the
pioneer and perfecter of faith.
For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat
down at the right hand of the
throne of God. Consider him who
endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose
heart. Hebrews 12:1-3
