Crazy Money! Prayer and Gratitude Taught by Pennies

It’s Crazy Money Day! 

Years ago, USA Today did a great story about Otha Anders of Ruston, LA. He saved his first penny when he found it on the ground. The coin reminded him to pray and give thanks. “I became convinced that spotting a lost or dropped penny was an additional God-given incentive reminding me to always be thankful,” said Anders, then 73 years old. “There have been days when I failed to pray and more often than not, a lost or dropped penny would show up to remind me.” Fifteen five-gallon plastic water jugs and a half a million pennies later, Anders deposited over $5,000 into his account to go toward his dental bill. That’s crazy! “I would never spend a penny,” he said. “I would break a dollar before giving up a penny…I never allowed anyone, not even my wife or children, to give me pennies without being compensated…I wanted the inner satisfaction that God and I acquired this collection.”

Well, I’m inspired by this penny collector who saw a lowly coin as a reminder to be thankful and to pray. By his own words, he was thankful to God more than 500,000 times over his years of collecting these pennies.

Otha Anders prayed and gave thanks. Though the money helped him pay a dental bill, I assume his prayer life is where he found the most value in those coins. It’s a good lesson for all of us. The next time you see a penny, let it remind you to be very thankful.

And if you’re struggling to be thankful because of too much credit card debt, Christian Credit Counselors are the best. They’ll create a debt management plan specifically for you. For more information you can visit online at crown.org/ccc