Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles. – Psalm 105:4-5a (NIV)
The week after my acquaintance Mel died in an act of violence, I went back to the yoga studio where we had met. I was reeling with Mel’s loss on top of a couple of other deaths in my inner circle, and I was worried that it would be too distressing to be in the studio, knowing Mel would not be in class that day – or ever again.
I didn’t know Mel well, but I knew she had an infectious smile, a fierce capacity to care for other people without losing herself, and an unstoppably joyful optimism. Instead of a purse or bag, she carried a funny little coin purse with a bright picture on the side.
As I stepped across the threshold of the classroom that sad day, I spotted a nickel and picked it up. It felt like Mel had left that nickel there for me, like it had fallen out of her cosmic coin purse and into my grieving fingers. The nickel grew warm in the palm of my hand. “Life is so beautiful, and there is so much abundance here.” I could hear Mel’s voice in my head. “Enjoy it. Enjoy every moment.”
After that, in this cashless economy, I began to find coins everywhere. Getting in the car. Near a park bench. And, one memorable time, in a freshly washed and folded towel I was putting into the linen closet. To this day, six months later, I find a coin or two nearly every day. Every time I thank Mel, and God, for sending me this very physical reminder of abundance, grace and joy.
The signs and wonders God sends don’t have to light up the sky. Sometimes they can be as simple as a flash of metal on the ground under your feet. A reminder to enjoy every moment.
Prayer
Almighty God, you work in ways we cannot fathom. Thank you for the signs and wonders you place in our path – if we will only notice them. Amen.
