Coin Wars

I found a penny on the ground.
Shiny copper…glistening in the morning sun.
It was turned heads up.
Abraham Lincoln looking as stately as ever.

I enjoy finding pennies.
Some may think that is silly.

Years ago my husband’s mother found an old blue glass jug.
It was about eighteen inches tall, with a thin neck.
She gave it to me, since she knew I liked old things.

I put it on my fireplace hearth.
It became our penny jar.
Spare change went in the coin jar…which is really a bean crock.
Only pennies went in the penny jar.

It didn’t start out as an object lesson, but it soon became one.
Something so little…so insignificant…can add up so quickly.
It got to the point that my young children looked for pennies.
Putting pennies in the penny jar was exciting.

When my children were in middle school, there was an annual event called Coin Wars.
It was a way to raise money for a charitable cause.
Each homeroom had its own coin jar.
Students brought in coins and tallied points according to the amount of coins received.

There was a strategy to this event.
Pennies gained you the most points.
Quarters were actually negative points.

To the adult mind it made no sense.
To the students it made perfect sense.
Drop lots of quarters in another class’ jar to lessen their amount of points.
Conversely, the more quarters brought in, the more money collected for the charity.
I still don’t have a handle on coin wars, but my children thought it was great fun!

Each morning, in homeroom, students would plan their strategy.
A favorite teacher may have lots of quarters placed in their coin jar.
Quarters guaranteed points lost for that teacher’s homeroom.
The strategists made sure they had lots of pennies in their jar…guaranteeing points gained.

This went on for an entire week.
It all worked out in the end.
Much money was raised for the charity.

I remember when my youngest daughter wanted to bring in pennies for coin wars.
Our blue penny jar was heavy, even though it was less than half full.
The jar needed to be turned on its side and shook slightly in order to get the pennies out.

Usually this was done with help.
She decided to try it herself.
She accidentally hit the thin neck of the jar on the hearth.

The old blue jar broke.
Actually, it was a good thing, since a country crock became the perfect place for pennies.
That crock sits on our hearth to this day.

The premise of Coin Wars is really a good one.
Something little, that you would simply walk over on the street is really important.
Something of seemingly lesser value is worth much in the end.

I think that is why I like my penny jar so much.
It reminds me of the small, insignificant things.

As He looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “I tell you the truth,” He said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” (Luke 21:1-4)

There were thirteen trumpet shaped receptacles in the temple.
This is where the offerings were placed.
Imagine the sound as the wealthy came and put all of their coins into the receptacles.
Now imagine the sound of two small lepta coins….worth only a fraction of a penny.

No one would have heard the coins fall into the receptacle.
But Jesus did!
He not only heard…He saw.
He saw not only what the widow did…but He saw the heart with which she did it.
And He was pleased.

The widow only had two copper coins.
She could have kept one for herself and given one to the temple treasury.
Instead, she sacrificially gave all she had to God.

Jesus said the others gave out of their wealth.
The widow gave out of her poverty.
The widow trusted that God would sustain her.

What an object lesson we have in a copper penny.
The amount of the offering does not matter.
The heart behind the offering is what matters to God.

God is so totally “other”.
Whatever the world thinks…you can be sure that is opposite of God’s Kingdom.

Jesus came and turned the world on its head!
How blessed we are that He did!

Pennies and Coin Wars even then.
Something so insignificant is really that important.

 

 

2 responses to “Coin Wars”

1. I love penny’s they say “in god we trust” on them adn to me I love finding penny’s it reminds me of when I was a kid. Thanks for reminding me of happier times. XOXO

   Reply

   • Dale,
     We are kindred spirits!
     I am delighted that these words brought back good memories.
     I love the inscription on the penny, too.
     Gina

     Reply