WE'VE ALL HEARD IT many times. "A penny for your ______."
Being a prolific daydreamer, I admit I have drifted away a time or two, even in the most interesting conversations. We've all been there. I’m certain this phrase came from an era when a penny was worth much more than it is today. Why?
When a friend in our group appears disengaged from the conversation and we want them to rejoin us we say, "A penny for your thoughts." The clever expression, nearly 600 years old now, is still around because we treasure our friends. They know us best and their input will be tailor-made toward us. We trust them.
Thoughts from people we care about, and long-time friends or family are priceless.
There are plenty of other people in the world who aren't interested in what WE think or say.
But WE don't have to act like that. Right? We can hold ourselves to a better standard if we make the effort and stick with it. All we need to do is adjust our attitudes. And that happened to me earlier today:
Standing in my backyard this early morning, grateful to breathe the fresh air and, well, just be alive, I watched a flock of sparrows play among the tree branches. So many, and they seemed to laugh and enjoy each other's company, having the best time as they frolicked in the coolness of daybreak. They darted dexterously up and down and all around through the dappled sunlight. It was quite a spectacle.
I suddenly recalled the words of my Creator—who so much wants us to think on His words in moments like these. As He directed His flock this way and that, I considered how much He treasures our opinions, our thoughts, our lives, our worth . . . our joining the conversation. And he put it in writing forever. We’ve read it numerous times, but it never meant more to me than today. What a way to start the week!
“What is the price of five sparrows? A couple of pennies? Not much more than that. Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And he knows the number of hairs on your head! Never fear, you are far more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows.”
I don't know about you, but it has always been hard for me to view myself as "valuable" to anyone. But when The One Who Makes Things Exist says I am valuable, I'm sure I should think on it, and often. How sobering and energizing. Even though I know I cannot fathom the depths His comment implies, it makes me want to be a better man, or a better return-on-investment for His sacrifice.
Perhaps I can demonstrate my gratitude toward Him by sharing with my friends how much they mean to me every chance I get (and in writing). I could let them know how amazing and rich my life is with them in it. How alone and sad it would be without them. I admit it's true!
Everyone was created by the same person who spoke those encouraging words so long ago, millennia before you and I came on the scene.
Who knows how much a simple, true, kind statement could change a life for the better, if only for today? I think it is far more valuable than a bird show!
But that's just my two cents worth.
©️ Copyright 2021, rewritten 2022, Gary Landerfelt MyPericope.com
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