Pennies From Heaven | Interfaith Fellowship

Redefining Prosperity

"Pennies from Heaven"

I looked up the definition of prosperity in the dictionary and it said "To be successful, to flourish." So clearly, in order to define what it means to be prosperous, you must first come to a definition of what it means to be successful. The dictionary also gave a secondary definition for prosperity, which was "the ability to fulfill all of your wants and desires." It has been my observation that this is the definition that most of us use for prosperity, and also for success. We think that we are successful when we are able to get everything we want. The problem with this definition, however, is that desire tends to expand to meet and exceed our ability to satisfy it. Every time we get something we want, a new desire for something else will tend to arise. It is a never ending cycle. Ralph Waldo Emerson had a very different point of view. He said: "To know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success." Imagine what the world would be like if everyone defined success in this way. Imagine that instead of striving to fill our bank accounts with money and our homes with expensive toys, instead of trying to become powerful and rich, we all tried our best to simply make life easier and better for one another. What an incredible, wonderful world that would be!

There is a lot of talk in New Age circle about "prosperity consciousness." The idea seems to be that if you change your consciousness you will magically attract more prosperity, primarily meaning more money and more things. The emphasis always seems to be on getting and having more. However, I think prosperity consciousness is really about becoming conscious of the prosperity we already have. We spend so much of our time looking at what we don't have, the things we think are missing from our lives, that we often forget to look at what we do have. The truth is that everyone, no matter what their circumstances are, has blessings in their life. Some blessings are big and obvious, others more hidden and subtle, but they are there, none the less. We just need to open our eyes, recognize them, and give thanks. The remarkable thing is, the more we become aware and conscious of all the things we have, the more we will find coming to us. The more you give thanks, the more you will find you have to be thankful for. .

A few years ago I started a practice of picking up pennies on the street. It began as a superstition. "See a penny, pick it up, and all the day you have good luck." However, over time, it has evolved into something else. Now I look at pennies on the street as little reminders from heaven of all the ways, big and small, that I am constantly being blessed. God is always giving us gifts, we just need to stop judging the form and size those gifts come i

When I find a penny (or a nickel, dime or quarter) I pick it up, close my eyes for a second, think of some thing in my life that I am grateful for and say thanks. The challenge is to try to always give thanks for something new each time. After a few dozen pennies it really makes you dig deep into the well of your gratitude. However, the deeper you go, the more you will find is there.

I collect all the pennies in a little bowl in a special place in my home. I made a vow to collect all the pennies and then at the end of the year match every penny with a dollar and give it to charity. It is my way of recognizing all the blessings of my life, and giving thanks to God by giving something to help those whose blessings are perhaps a little less obvious than mine. I have given this money to Love In Action, the community service program of Interfaith Fellowship. . I ask you to join with me, in gathering pennies from heaven, giving thanks, celebrating the richness and blessings in our lives, and in reaching out to help brighten and ease the lives of those around us. For the remainder of this year I would like to invite everyone in the Fellowship to bring in pennies and other found change and place it in the jar on the altar, remembering as you do so, to give thanks for all that you have been given. Remember that our goal is not just to fill the jar with money, but to fill our consciousness with recognition and gratitude.

In the words of Tao Te Ching "When you realize that there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you."

Thank you.

Reverend Barbara Stout

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