Did you ever find a coin that seemed to have special meaning?

Seems like a strange question -- to be sure.

A coin?

Coins are money. Money is mammon. Mammon is worldly.

But God can use anything (He operates in the natural and the supernatural), and according to an intriguing, very readable, often fascinating little book called Penny Prayers: True Stories of Change (Liguori), He even uses -- yes, pennies.

It seems folks find coins at certain meaningful junctures of life. Picking one up, they read "In God We Trust" and make that into a simple prayer ("In God I trust, in God I trust...").

Often, it seems, this works.

Jesus, I trust in You.

God's loves simplicity. He loves prayer from the heart. He loves -- it seems -- even prayers from pennies?

For our discernment. We have heard of those who find coins in association with deceased loved ones -- like a little sign that they are still there, still watching.

Pennies are so small. They are the "least." In this way, in their humble stature, they're powerful.

Don't limit what God will do or use. He sends us signs through many means.

A "penny" (the small things in life) can have big lessons.

Well-kept, and considered of value, "pennies" turn into "dollars."

"One day when I found a penny lying on a sidewalk, I didn't shove it into my pocket as usual," writes the author, Marion Amberg. "I brushed it off, then fingered the raised surface and studied the coin.

"'D' was for Denver, where the coin was minted in 1985. No longer shiny, the penny was beginning to tarnish from the many hands that had touched it over the years. I felt just like the coin: tarnished from the hand that life had dealt me. I had a leg injury that doctors said was irreversible. I was experiencing financial worries and needed to make crucial decisions about my future. Should I do this or do that?

"I turned the coin over and discovered a message worth more than all the riches of the world. 'In God We Trust,' proclaimed tiny capital letters above the bust of Abraham Lincoln.

"Prompted by an inner nudge, I prayed, 'God, I trust in You.' Immediately a sense of calm and peace descended on me like a warm blanket. The next time I found a penny, I repeated the prayer. Finding pennies and praying the penny prayer became a kind of spiritual high for me. Whether I was out walking for exercise or running an errand... I dug out pennies frozen in snow and ice and pried them from hot tarred streets. Some pennies were dirtier than sin, but I picked them up anyway. Cleaning away the dirt as though I were cleaning my own soul, I prayed, 'God, I trust in You.' My financial and other worries didn't disappear like magic, but that simple prayer helped me to trust in God's Plan for my life!

"And whenever I need reassurance of God's Providence, more pennies from Heaven seem to land in my path.

"A penny and a prayer: It sounds too simple but the physical act of holding up a penny and declaring my trust in God lifts burdens from me. When I take back my problems -- as we all sometimes do -- I find another penny and recommit my trust in the Almighty. So find a penny and say the penny prayer -- then watch for 'change' in your life!"

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[resources: Penny Prayers]

[Note also: Michael Brown retreats: Philadelphia-New Jersey]

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[Feedback: Several years ago, I was going through quite a tough time in my life. Troubles and worries in almost every area. Although I have always had a special place in my heart for devotion to our Lord's merciful graces as written in the diary of St. Faustina, I often was so wrapped up in my hardships, that I forgot to turn to His Mercy and pray. It was then it seemed that no matter where I went, especially when things were really chaotic, that a dime would show up...on a counter, at my feet, in my car...anywhere. Finally, I said (out loud) to God, "What is the meaning of all these dimes?". Then I had the revelation -DIME - DIvine MErcy!!! God often puts little reminders in our life when we "forget" to call on Him in times of trouble...now, every time I see a dime, I say a prayer....and, sure thing, those dimes still show up at times I need reminding the most. Thanks for being able to share!" -- Mary Uryga]