Luke 15:8-10:- “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbours, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (ESV)

Recently I was in a supermarket, buying a few trifles, for which I would pay with the few two pound coins that were in my wallet. The checkout assistant drew my attention to one of the two pound coins and said that this was not legal tender. So, not having my glasses with me to read the small print, and not wanting to make a fuss, I agreed to swap the coin over with another one I had.

I was a bit flummoxed by the fact that the imprinted image on the coin was definitely a queen’s head. So I waited until I had returned back to the office so I could investigate it further on the net, and where my glasses where to be found! Glasses on I could see it was not a coin from the Channel Islands that gets into circulation from visitors or tourists that bears the Queen’s head. So I went to the website for the Royal Mint and found it to be a 1989 English W & M Tercentenary of the Bill of Rights and Claim of Right coin (http://www.royalmint.gov.uk/Corporate/BritishCoinage/CoinDesign/TwoPoundCoin.aspx). So, it was legal tender and worth more than double its face value, because only 2,500,000+ were minted–not exactly rare but collectable! I was minded to go back and remonstrate with the checkout girl to vent my annoyance with her shortcomings. However I did not do so because I pondered that I had been told it was worthless, but now I had found out it was worth more than face value! This provoked my reminiscence about the parable above! There is joy in heaven.

I know I could be more patient, but I am reminded I am in need of Grace. Such is our nature here on earth. We are called to be peaceable:

James 3:17:- But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. (ESV)

PRAYER: LORD, we are consumed with small things that block our channel to Your Peace. Grant us Grace to let go of the unimportant. Open our eyes to see the bigger picture: Kingdom of God values. May we live in the excitement of knowing that we are a part of this. There is joy in heaven over our decision to keep on laying down the stuff (cf. Matthew 18:7-9) and by our witness make known the nature of Jesus in our lives, amen.

Rod Marshall Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England