Faith Hope and Fiction Blog

Hard Edged Luck

Posted on Sunday, July 01, 2012

Hard-Edged Luck

By Patricia Crisafulli

            There it was, face down on the pavement: run over, chewed up, and jagged on the edges. Any of those attributes would have been reason enough to pass quickly by, but I couldn’t resist picking it up. This little talisman--my new “lucky” penny--spoke to me of the good things that we can gain through hard work and trials, and the payoff that comes from perseverance.

            Despite it battered condition, the date on the coin is 2011, and it still shines in some places. Clearly, this poor thing has been through a lot in the short time since it left the US Mint. I think we can relate.

            These are hard times for many people, and the news headlines are filled with uncertainty from Wall Street to Europe and beyond. No one I know takes anything for granted, especially in light of what we’ve been through on the economic rollercoaster of the past few years and that sinking feeling that, at any moment, the wheels just might come off this thing.

            Yet, when I look at my pulverized penny, it occurs to me that even though its condition is poor, it’s still worth $0.01. Despite its outward appearance, its value has not diminished. In the same way, our values--integrity, honesty, and loyalty--do not depend upon how we look, whether we shop at a high-end retailer or the bargain store. Friendship and love are not affected by job titles, or the absence thereof. The people who cherish us are happy to cheer our successes, but they don’t run away because of our failures. No matter how life chews us up, we are not diminished at all. We are still whole in their eyes, and in God’s.

            My newfound luck charm sits in a place of honor on my desk, reminding me at every glance that good fortune does not come unscathed. All of us take our lumps on the road to success. Luck is what you make with hard work and a grateful attitude.  Even when we’re feeling so low--face down on the pavement and run over a couple of times (metaphorically, of course)--someone will come by and give us a hand. Then, when we least expect it, our circumstances will change.

           We just have to keep the faith.