Just a Penny

Forbearance is one of my strengths. Except when people get on my nerves. That’s a different story. Let me give you an example.

Some time ago I went to the store to pick up a few small items. At the checkout, the total came to $4.23. I handed the cashier a ten-dollar bill and reached into my pocket for change. All I had was two dimes, two pennies, and some lint—twenty-two cents. I held it out, thinking the cashier might have a spare penny somewhere. In my experience, most don’t want to make change anyway. Not this guy.

“It’s $4.23…sir,” he said firmly, emphasizing “sir” in a way that felt a little accusatory. I put the change back in my pocket, gave a frozen smile, and left with a bunch of coins jingling in my pocket. Outwardly, I was calm. But inwardly? I was irritated. What a jerk, I thought. He couldn’t even scrounge up a penny?

Driving home I replayed the scene. What bad customer service. No wonder they don’t get more business in that dump! Later, during my evening prayer walk, I circled back to it again, and the next morning in my quiet time, guess who came to mind as I began to pray? “That stickler at the cash register.”

And then it hit me: Wait…it was just a penny!

Micro Irritations

That experience made me realize how easily a small offense can take over my inner life. I kept thinking about it, rehearsing what I should have said, one imaginary zinger after another. It became the background music in my head.

But the deeper problem is that micro irritations can build up and become barnacles on our souls. Rehashing imaginary arguments with “the jerks” we encounter every day poisons our spirits and makes it harder for us to love God and others (Matthew 22:37-39)

Mental Shorthand 

So lately, I’ve been trying to make “It’s just a penny” my mental shorthand for letting go of small slights before they get stuck on auto-repeat. Of course, there are deeper wounds in life that can’t be dismissed with a phrase. Some hurts require time, prayer, and the healing work of the Spirit. But most of what trips us up day to day are the one-penny offenses. And if we can learn to release those more quickly, we’ll experience more of God’s peace and presence.

So, the next time someone gets on your nerves, pause, genuinely smile, and silently ask God to help you respond with grace. See if that turns a penny irritation into an encounter with God.