I wanted to give my daughters an uplift in their spirits that day. We had gone out to buy a few groceries, and the thought of money and the lack of it continually was on my mind. It was hard to walk through a store without feeling the uncomfortable gnaw in the pit of my stomach of not having enough money. Due to a divorce after almost twenty years of marriage, my resources were low, and we were all trying to adjust.

My two girls went to sit down and my oldest asked, "Are you sure you can afford this?" Her eyes showed weariness of the battle, just like I know mine did. I wanted so much to help ease the pain just for a moment.

I assured her I could as I began to grab every available coin from my almost empty wallet. Pennies, nickels and dimes. I just wanted to give them a treat from the snack bar.

As I approached the counter, it was as if someone slapped the underside of my hand that held the few coins I owned. First a jingle here, then there, as my ears strained to identify and tell my brain where my money was being scattered. Some of the money had fallen in a shelf by the counter. The shelf held an array of chips, cookies and all other sorts of snacks. I began digging through all of the items in an attempt to retrieve my pennies.

I felt my anger rising as I remembered how doing simple tasks like this had been so easy. I was accustomed to just handing over bills from my wallet and not even giving a thought to the cost. Here, now, I was scrounging for change. The irony of that word hit me. Change. Everything had changed. I barely could provide basic things for the kids, let alone a snack. The woman behind the counter waited with a smile. Fortunately, there was no one in front of me or behind me as I kept pushing aside bags of snacks to get back what belonged to me. Why? That question raged in my mind. Why? In a moment of frustration, I began to question God's love for me. He had said in His word that He never would leave nor forsake me. I felt left and forsaken.

Suddenly, my fingers grasped hold of a wallet. Underneath chip bags and assorted cookies, I had unearthed an entire wallet with credit cards, a driver's license and all other forms of identification. In a total state of bewilderment I held this in front of my eyes. I was in the possession of another person's whole life, so to speak. I said, "Look what I found."

When I showed the lady behind the counter, she exclaimed, "That man works here. He came to buy something yesterday and lost his wallet. He is physically and mentally disabled. He became so distraught because he could not find his wallet. He would just kiss you if he was here." She assured me she would make sure it was returned to him.

I handed her the wallet with a whole new attitude erupting in my heart. I paid (with all of my change) for my daughters' treats and made my way back to the table. Deep inside, as I reflected on what had just happened, I felt His presence. And, He said to me, "Everything happens for a reason."

My loose change and my inconvenience helped another individual gain back what had been lost. I had been used of Him. In a moment when my frustration was almost overwhelming, I was part of a plan of recovery and relief to another human being.

Is that not what our life should be as we serve Him? This event taught me that even when situations or circumstances don't appear to be what we want, He is at work. He never rests, and He is always looking for ways to use us. Pennies, nickels and dimes by themselves don't amount to much, but when they are combined they can be put to use in the marketplace to buy items. Allowing the Lord to make small changes in our hearts, even in times of much distress, can, over time, amount to much.

Copyright © by Christine Prueher Share