THEY GAVE NICKELS

A recent children's experience at worship offered three new pieces of grace.  Part of the Gospel reading for that day was the parable of the woman who has ten coins but loses one of them.  She searches diligently for the coin until she finds it and then rejoices with her neighbors!

From a location high above the chancel floor, I asked the children who had come forward for the children's word if they ever lose things, and how they feel when they find them.  When they responded with joy, I dropped coins from my high perch and asked the children to find them.  After all had found a coin, it was clear that they were rejoicing!

Grace note number one:  At the Saturday evening worship there were seven children.  I had thrown seven nickels onto the floor.  After the worship service, the assistant brought me the children's offering to secure.  Ordinarily there are a few dollar bills and a quarter or two on Saturday.  That night there were six nickels in addition to the normal offering.  I can only believe that six of the children decided it would be good to give the money back to the church.  What grace.

Grace note number two:  At the first service on Sunday, I was overwhelmed with children.  While I had 40 more nickels, about 40 children came up for the children's word.  They scrambled for the coins when I threw them.  It was holy chaos.  I confessed to the congregation that I would have to go looking for more money between services since I had used all I had.  On the way out of the sanctuary, a few people had coins in their hands, one man an entire hand full of coins.  I didn't have to go looking for coins at all.  People were generous.

Grace note number three:  The coins at the second Sunday service were not all nickels since they had been given to me.  As I threw coins this time, there was a mix.  One boy didn't seem to get any of the coins.  I had a dollar coin in my hand.  I flicked it down in front of him, and he rejoiced to find this coin--an entire dollar!  After worship his mother came to me and told me that the boy had decided that dollar would be his offering at the children's word.  The parents did not prompt him.  He was simply generous with what he had been given.

Oh, we might think that we give and give.  But we get more in return.  And we return some to the one who has given and continues to give us all good things.  We can learn from children who give nickels...and dollar coins.