Good morning, Five Minute Families. Would you rather have 100 pennies or 4 quarters? In terms of ease of carrying the money and paying with the money, most of us would choose 4 quarters. Now, let’s think about those times in school when we had to write a paper for the English teacher… how many of us sat down and wrote the paper the night before it was due, even if we were supposed to have an outline and other pre-writing work turned in with it? Most English teachers will assign the various prewriting work as well as the drafting and editing phases to be turned in prior to the paper due date in order to make sure we are working on the tasks in a timely and organized way. But, what do 100 pennies and English teachers have to do with one other?

I watched a social media video the other day by a beautiful young lady who was sharing her ADHD experience of activity and inactivity with the analogy of 100 pennies or four quarters. I accidentally hit the back arrow and couldn’t find it again so I cannot give her proper credit; nonetheless, her point was… Do you accomplish your tasks like counting out 100 pennies or 4 quarters? The English teacher who breaks down a big paper into separate tasks and has you turn in the parts as you go is a 100 pennies person. They are making sure you are doing the task methodically and carefully. And, for an English paper, I would agree that the 100 pennies approach will often be the most fruitful. However, the accomplishment of most tasks in our daily lives, neither the 100 pennies or the 4 quarters is correct or better.

They both equal a dollar, but the overall look of the broken down tasks and the time it takes to complete them looks very different. So, if you are a 100 pennies parent and you have a 4 quarters child, you may end up with a lot of conflict in the house. Of course, just as there are numerous ways to make a dollar, there are numerous ways to accomplish a task in different chunks of time. We might be 10 dime parents with 20 nickel kids. We might even have times when we are full dollar parents because of the urgency or timing of a needed task. Parents, sometimes we forget the vast differences available in accomplishing the same task (or the tasks that we each have set before us). We hear verses like

​​Ephesians 5:15–16 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

Psalm 90:12 teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.

Luke 14:28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?

John 9:4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.

And, after hearing those verses, if we are ‘100 pennies’ constant working a little at a time people, we may view our 4 quarters kiddo as lazy or ‘less than.’ Remember, Galatians 6:9 “Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.” If you are both accomplishing the tasks that are set before you, then just like the quantity of money is equal, the work is equal. Five Minute parent, you may have to adjust your actual view of the other person.

The same is true in reverse. If mom is 4 quarters but the kiddo needs a task to be 100 pennies, it is incumbent upon the parent to explain and help the child accomplish their task in ‘100 penny’ format. That can be a lot harder to achieve sometimes; we have to be self-aware and equip ourselves to meet the needs and changes that will help each family member achieve his or her greatest potential. Which, will ultimately help us as a family achieve the goals we have set for ourselves.

Thank you for joining us today. We pray that the eyes of your hearts will be enlightened to God’s hope, glory, and power for your family. We encourage you to be intentional about cultivating a family identity that honors God and the unique qualities He created within each of your family members. If you would like to learn more, please check out our website clearviewretreat.org. Be blessed!