Mere Pennies and Mighty Ripples

Back in November I gave a devotional titled Mere Pennies and Mighty Ripples. In February, I referenced that devotional in my Newsletter. Today I want to reflect on it by writing it below, in full:

"When I was six or seven years old, growing up in Pittsburgh, I used to take a precious penny of my own and hide it for someone else to find. It was a curious compulsion; sadly, I've never been seized by it since. For some reason I always 'hid' the penny along the same stretch of sidewalk up the street. I would cradle it at the roots of a sycamore, say, or in a hole left by a chipped-off piece of sidewalk. Then I would take a piece of chalk, and, starting at either end of the block, draw huge arrows leading up to the penny from both directions. After I learned to write I labeled the arrows: SURPRISE AHEAD or MONEY THIS WAY. I was greatly excited, during all this arrow-drawing, at the thought of the first lucky passer-by who would receive in this way, regardless of merit, a free gift from the universe. But I never lurked about. I would go straight home and not give the matter another thought, until, some months later, I would be gripped again by the impulse to hide another penny...
...The world is fairly studded and strewn with pennies cast broadside from a generous hand. But -- and this is the point -- who gets excited by a mere penny? If you follow one arrow, if you crouch motionless on a bank to watch a tremulous ripple thrill on the water and are rewarded by the sight of a muskrat kit paddling from its den, will you count that sight a chip of copper only, and go your rueful way? It is dire poverty indeed when a man is so malnourished and fatigued that he won't cultivate a healthy poverty and simplicity, so that finding a penny will literally make your day, then, since the world is in fact planted in pennies, you have with your poverty bought a lifetime of days. It is that simple. What you see is what you get."

-Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard

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How many people see a penny (or the European equivalent) and choose not to pick it up? How many people get a penny and drop it for someone else to find? Better yet, how many people get a penny and put it in a jar of other pennies? I do all of these without any thought. The only thought that I might have is "worthless." Are they, though?

I think if you give out these pennies with a "generous hand" and search for them with seeking eyes you will begin to see the mighty ripples these mere pennies have. It took two children to help me see that more clearly.

Jack, Cindy, and I are going on two years of knowing each other, and during the course of that time I've been able to get to know their children and their grandchildren. Two of their grandchildren I have really enjoyed getting to know. Eva is 4 and Sofia is 2. They've made my day almost every time that I've seen them on Skype and it isn't because of the long conversations we've had. I've talked to them around 20 or so times, but the first 5 times can hardly be called talking. Whenever I said, "Hello." to Eva she would run away and say nothing. She would peek from behind a wall or the couch to see if I had left yet. Jack and Cindy would say, "Hey Eva, look who else is here!" She would be gone! But every time I would offer a penny, a simple "Hi Eva!" Slowly running turned to sitting in silence and silence turned to hi and most recently it turned to "Can we show him our bed?" and "Where did Justin go?" It's been a simple boisterous hello that has turned into fun conversations. That's a a mighty ripple. 

You don't notice the mighty ripples until you acknowledge the mere pennies. You don't notice the mighty ripples until the mere pennies make your day.

It's easy to find a lot of pennies that other people have left. In fact, who found the four one cent Euros that I left lying around? For me, the latest pennies that have been making my day are the times when my students, past and present, and random students have said hello to me in the halls at school. Honestly, it truly makes my day. I have one student that I had last year who has the brightest smile when she sees me and she waves hello wildly. Her boyfriend and her best friend have now started saying hello to me when they see me. I find so much joy when a student talks to me between classes. It's something that small that gets me through winter.

It's easy to seek these pennies out and acknowledge them. The difficulty comes when you have to give the pennies. They are worthless. They should just be cast aside because nothing ever happens. But that's the thing! Giving pennies is not about the result! Dillard "never lurked about" and did "not give the matter another thought." Know that you've started a mighty ripple, but the lake could be masses so forget about it. What matters is how the penny is given. Find the joy in giving. Why am I always so happy when I say hello? Because that excitement is the arrows and words that I draw to the penny or the hello that make me love the giving. Who cares if it isn't really noticed. I enjoyed giving it and that mighty ripple happened. I just might not see it.

But why must it be mere pennies and mighty ripples? Why can't we find 20 dollars and experience 20 foot waves? Because that's rarely realistic. It's rare that a person drops a bill, and if you experience a 20 foot wave, you would be toppled. Most often you experience the ripples from the lake or the small lapping of the ocean when you put your feet in. These joys of life never begin as a glorious thing. You feel the ripple before the wave. You find a penny before a bill.

Jesus came as a baby before He was put on the cross to forgive our sins. And God loved every moment in preparing Jesus's way. He put up the star of Bethlehem as a huge arrow for the wise men and He had the angels sing to the shepherds as a SURPRISE AHEAD sign. 

He loved His mere penny and we must love ours too.