From my archives, November 14, 2023

Too cool and damp for any porch pondering but on my walks with Penelope I watched the birds on the feeders and the squirrels running around the oaks trees. My oak tree has lost it leaves of sunshine and is now covered in brown leaves. The large oak tree at the end of the root broken sidewalk has lost all his ballerinas and is covered in large balls of mistletoe. Looks like big Christmas ornaments hanging on the high branches. Wished I’d taken a photo but it’s too dark now. Mama used to get my brothers to shoot down stems of mistletoe with their pellet guns at Christmas and she would tie a red ribbon around the sprigs and make a kissing ball. I think I dragged Chief under the mistletoe a few times. Kissing under the mistletoe is a famous Christmas tradition that signifies love and romance. If you say no to a kiss under the mistletoe you will supposedly have bad luck. Mistletoe berries are poisonous to humans and dogs. Penelope will not be kissing anything under the mistletoe! Me, either!

The overcast sky was so beautiful right before dusk. Father Sky had layered his clouds accordion style in grays and light purples and vanillas. They were so pretty and fluffy looking, each cloud resting on top of another one. When it came time for sunset Mother Nature only had a small window of blue sky canvas and she painted apricot and orange layers for the pageant of sunset. So pretty, the layers of colors right on the horizon, ready for the sun to slide down and turn out the day’s light. Father sky held up the accordion clouds long enough to kiss the sun goodnight and hurry off for his duties waking up the moon and stars, pinning them on the velvet black of the night’s darkness, the stars so bright, made me think of newly minted silver coins.

I love to drop change from shopping down in my purse and then on a rainy day scoop the coins out and put them in my change jars. The glass jars were a gift of expensive hot chocolate mix and are perfect for saving coins. I put silver change in one and pennies in the other. When they get full I run them through the change counter at the bank. Only filled them once since I moved back home to Roanoke. Since I’m using and addicted to the grocery pick up services I haven’t had much change to put in the jars.

We rely on coins for our wordly needs just as we rely on God’s love and support for our spiritual needs. God offers us security when we face hard times. I recently read a quote by Lillian Dickson. “Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you can only spend it once.” Remember taking your children to the “only a dollar store?” If it was our money they were quick to pick out a few toys but it if was their “one dollars” they were spending, they took more time and agonized over their decisions.

Our life is a coin but we aren’t all born the same coinage. Some of us experience life as shiny new pennies, hoping to be picked up and carried through life in a warm pocket, not willing to be brave and venture out and enjoy this life God has blessed us with. Others of us work to shine the silver in the coin we’re given, making choices to live life to its fullest and experience all that life has to offer, willingly and faithfully following the path God has chosen for us, grateful for all the blessings gathered in the purses of our lives, sharing our life’s wealth with others.

We have a limited time on earth, we don’t know when our time will be over. We all have to be willing to spend our life’s coin wisely. It’s the only coin we have. Some of us take life for granted, others put our coin in God’s hands, secure in the knowledge that God is in control. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 reads, “Use money to do good, be generous, and share with others.”

We can have faith in God, give our coins to him, and follow a path that he’s chosen or cast our coins in the piggy bank of life and hope they add up to happiness.

Our coins are gifts from God and God loves a cheerful giver.

“It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving” — Mother Teresa