A cross, a penny, and a smile

I carry a little penny with a cutout cross in my pocket. Yes, it’s a shiny penny, and right through the middle is the cutout shape of a Christian cross.

When I recently showed it to a friend, the first question she asked me was, “Isn’t that against the law?” I shrugged my shoulders, not understanding what she was asking. Apparently, according to Title 18, Chapter 17 of the U.S. Code, it is a punishable crime to deface coins and currency.

My friend was missing the point. I shared the penny with her because it makes me happy. Everything about it makes me happy. It reminds me of my Sunday mornings with Julio and George, the two breakfast buddies I get to sit with each weekend at The Drifter.

It’s there, at the diner-style bar, where a friendly waitress gave me the penny. I was complimenting her on a shirt she had on at the time. She always wears shirts with positive messages or Bible verses. She said thank you, and then gave me the penny. She said I should have it so that I would always carry a cross wherever I go.

Her little act of generosity gave me a big smile. It reminded me of the parable in the Gospels where the poor widow gave two coins at the temple treasury. While others gave gifts based on their vast wealth, the widow gave more than she had to live on.