THE STORY OF A COIN

True one.

Been a LONG TIME ago.

I lived in Redwood City, California, and my daughter was just over a year old.

During her birthday in October, she received her main birthday gift, from my dear friend, Susie, who, at that time, was in Montana.    

[Later, when we were together in Omaha ... me and my little ones, Renae and Steve, living with her family ... she became Renae's godmother at baptism.  Renae had come to the Lord personally and was now 6.  What a blessing it was to have Renae and Susie together in that way; never would have thought it could happen when I lived in California!]

Anyhow, as warm as it was in October, 1970, it wasn't when this next event, which the story's about, was heading for winter.  

You see, I was walking in the downtown area and had Renae on my back in a baby carrier.  In those days, those carriers were much heavier than today, believe me.  But she was fitting in well, riding happily, looking all around.  OH, and she was wearing a wintery jacket and covered with her hood.  The hood had a fur trim, right across her forehead.

As walking, I glanced and saw a quarter.  As a knee-jerk person, as I've described myself before, I bent over immediately to grab it.  

OOPS!!

Renae flew out of the carrier and over my head and hit the sidewalk, headfirst for her, bouncing on her forehead.  Did she scream?  Oh, yes.  Pain?  Not so much.  Fear?  LOTS!!

Why not much pain?  God was very sweet.  An angel must have been there to pop her right on the fur trim of her hood.  Very, very slight red mark on her forehead as a result.

Did others see me?  I don't remember.  Hope not many.  No one screamed at me or dialed 911 [which, of course, wasn't possible in those days].

Now, this seem crazy?  Yes.  But totally unreasonable?  No.  Here's why.

We were pretty poor compared even to others.  In those days, rarely did business administrators make more than $600 a month in the San Francisco area. The average person was earning about $350 a month. We made about $200.

When I saw the quarter, I knee-jerked for some good reasoning ... regarding money, not my daughter on my back.

Costs:  $.25-.36 for a loaf of bread; $.28 for a McDonald's hamburger; $.33 for a quart of milk; $.80 for a pound of hamburger; $.59 for 4 pounds of apples; $.10 for 1 lettuce.

How could I not try for a loaf of bread?  [And at one cheap store it was only $.10 for a pound of margarine.  The store clerk, when checking me out, and I was 10 cents shy with my few things and setting the margarine aside, because I couldn't afford it, this young man put it back with my bread, peanut butter, baby foods, and tossed in a dime from his pocket.  What a blessing!!]

AND, when Renae was 2 years old it was $.25 for a gallon of gas.

Life has changed for many of us, and I can't do the same today ... no young 'uns I'd have on my back .. and I probably wouldn't risk lives to grab a quarter, or anything else.  BUT, if I see a $5 bill on the sidewalk, I might very quickly reach for it very fast with my cane and slam it solidly.  Ain't no one gonna grab it first!