Bronze Beauty

(with apologies to Anna Sewell)

I am first used – After I was minted I was taken, along with hundreds of my friends, to a big bank.  All of us were packed into bags, and although we were all in the dark, inside a big canvas sack, none of us was frightened, because we were all together.  Then one day two sacksful of us were taken to a supermarket where, after a short while laying on a shelf, we were emptied into a noisy cash drawer.  Here we were forced to make friends with other, older pennies that had been all over the world, it seemed – oh the stories they told!

Given in change – One day, I was snatched up, along with one of those older pennies, and handed over to a little old woman.  She grumbled as she took us, “Not a lot of good giving me these – you can’t get anything with twopence these days!”  Still muttering as she walked along, she stuffed us into a tiny pocket in her jacket.  Later we felt quite air-sick, as we were swung in the air and jerked to and fro. There was a metallic ‘chink’ and the movement stopped; a click, and all was even darker than before.

Life in a pocket – Apart from the darkness, the two things I chiefly remember about the next month or so were the strong smell of mothballs, and the stony silence.  Everywhere I’d been up to then there had been background noise, chattering voices, things being moved around, and so on.  Here there was nothing – it was as if life itself was suspended.

I am found – There were occasions when there was a click, and light burst briefly into our isolation; there was a rustling, and then all was darkness again.  Then one day in one of these bright intervals, came that same swinging in the air that we had experienced before.  There was gentle, regular movement; the jacket was being worn again.

Tossed away – It was clear we had entered a large building, for every sound we heard was echoing around us; there was talking, music and singing.  All at once we were flying through the air, and with a crash we landed on a big metal plate, amongst lots more money.  Then we were left in peace and were, for the first time it seemed, in bright daylight.  It was quite dazzling.

The voice – From somewhere I thought I heard a voice, but the bright light had made me a bit light-headed; maybe it was just in my mind.  It said, “This poor widow has put in more than all of them.” (St. Luke 21:3.)

You may think yourself unimportant, or of little value to anyone, but just remember how appreciated you are by God!