Walking Alone and Picking Up Pennies

So I had 2 hours to myself this weekend thanks to my very pregnant and sweet sister-in-law and my brother. I went to the bookstore to get a cup of iced coffee and wander around. It was a much needed and enjoyed break from the real world. I lose myself in books so many times that it would only seem natural to lose myself even more in a bookstore. As I wandered around trying to find a great book to read I wondered. Now that my life has changed how will it affect the things I let enter my mind. I have never felt this hunger, desire, and longing to follow the Lord. I walked up and down the aisles and didn't feel comfortable looking at books I would normally read. They are filled with immorality, sex, and alot of junk. I began to think this wasn't a good idea. I went to relax and there I was wondering how bad I would feel after filling my head with junk and lies. So I went to the Christian section. I had heard about a couple books from ladies at church, one being The Penny and the other being Breaking Free. I found both of them and settled down into an oversized chair with my iced coffee.

Before I knew it, my time alone was up and I needed to return to reality. In my reading today of Breaking Free, Beth Moore makes the statement that "If our liberty in Christ is going to be a reality in life, we are going to have to learn to walk in freedom of Christ, independent of everyone else we know." Do I walk alone and independently? Probably not as much as I need to. I look to alot of people with regards to my faith. I ask alot of questions. I see myself as a toddler in Christ (we all start out as babies when we first get saved---It's a silly analogy, but it works). I'm starting to feel independent, but still asking for people to hold my hands at times. The one I should be asking to hold my hand is Jesus, but I'm learning and I think God is proud of where I am going and how well I am toddling my way through to childhood and eventually an adult relationship with Christ.

I am lucky though. I have some great people to ask to hold my hand and fortunately they show me how to walk in my own too. My brother and Dad are the best at this. Dad really reminds me of things I have read or heard in church that have helped me in the past. David, my brother, will tell me where to look in the Bible for the answers I am looking for. One day I'll be able to walk in my relationship with Christ by myself, but for know, I am thankful for the hands to hold.


However so many times in my past (and I know others too) I look for someone else to be in charge of my relationship with God. I look at the tv for answers, or to music, or to people that may not be truly saved for advice on my life. Instead of looking up. It's ok to be a toddler, but eventually we all have to walk. We can't learn to walk from someone who is still crawling or can't even sit up yet.


The other book I got, The Penny (by Joyce Meyer) is a fictional book. It is about a little girl in a bad childhood, that finds a penny. The circumstances surrounding the picking up off the ground of this penny change her life and lead her on an amazing path of self discovery and salvation. The descriptions of Jesus' love and what he can do in your life as described by this little girl is simple yet complex. I haven't finished it yet, but I can't wait to! The way she turns the pennies around and ends up inspiring and cheering up others is a great story. She sees the penny as a reminder of God's love for her. His desire to clean our stains and make us new. It reminds her that he has planted a seed of greatness in her.


So my thought that I leave you with today is......

When you are walking alone in Christ, will you pick up your pennies and remember what God has done for you? Will you pass those pennies on? Or will you be too busy holding other peoples hands, relying on them that you can't stop and pick up your penny?