The Penny Drive
THE PENNY DRIVE
Read 1 Corinthians 1:26-31.
“Listen to this,” said Jody’s mother as she read a newspaper. “This article says, ‘Nothing can be purchased for a penny. The nickel should be the smallest coin.’ What do you think?”
“I agree,” said Dad. “I have a jar of pennies on my dresser. I dump them in there because I don’t like to carry a lot of change.”
Just then Todd came into the house after his youth meeting at church. “Guess what!” he said. “We’re going to have a penny drive to get money for our missionaries. The money will help pay for sending their stuff to Europe. We can only bring pennies! Will you help me? There’s a prize for bringing the most!”
Mom laughed. “The person who wrote that article didn’t know about missionaries,” she said. “Sure, we’ll all help.”
The family dug pennies out of the sofa and from underneath the beds. Dad contributed the jar of pennies from his dresser. They all cleaned out pockets and purses.
“We have $$3168,” said Todd on Sunday.
“Pennies seem worthless by themselves,” observed Jody, “but they add up in a hurry.”
Dad nodded. “God often takes something for which the world has no use and turns it into something valuable. We changed the way we think about pennies. There may be other areas where we need to change the way we think.”
“That’s especially true when it comes to people,” said Mom. “We often fail to recognize that all people are of great value to God—and that we should value them too.”
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you ever taken an object that someone threw away and made it into something useful? Or bought something no one else wanted because it was just right for you? Perhaps you know a person who doesn’t seem very valuable to other people. Learn to see value in all kinds of people as God does.
TO MEMORIZE:
The very hairs on your head are all numbered.
Matthew 10:30
LOOK FOR GOD’S VALUES.
From the book
