Loonies and Toonies

“Adversity is God’s currency for maturing a son or daughter to know Him intimately and move His heart.” – Os Hillman

Last month, I accompanied my son on a company-sponsored trip to Banff, Canada. He had earned the free trip by being one of AmeriLife’s top agents this year and he is well on his way to qualifying for next year’s trip to Ireland. In any case, his wife was supposed to go with him but unfortunately, her Nigerian passport didn’t arrive in time, so I was a last-minute replacement.

I had heard about the natural beauty of Banff, which is situated in the Canadian Rockies, but I still wasn’t prepared for the majesty of the mountains or the spectacular scenery at Lake Louise or Lake Moraine. The turquoise-colored water and the glacier-topped mountain peaks simply defy description.

In descending order, my favorite aspects of the trip were (1) spending quality time with Chris; (2) the natural beauty of the two lakes we hiked to see; and (3) shopping in the quaint town of Banff, where $1.00 in American money is worth about $1.30 in Canadian currency. Speaking of the Canadian currency, it is absolutely beautiful! $50 bills are pink, $20 bills are green, $10 bills are purple, and $5.00 bills are blue. The paper itself is silky and smooth, and each bill also has a clear stripe and a silver stripe for security measures.

However, my favorite Canadian denominations are the $1 and $2 coins, commonly referred to as “Loonies” and “Toonies.” The Loonie is an 11-sided coin made of aureate (bronze-plated nickel) and featuring a loon, whereas the Toonie is a bimetallic coin with an outer ring of steel with nickel plating and an inner core of aluminum bronze plated with brass. I wish the U.S. would adopt $1 and $2 coins like our “neighbors to the north”, while beautifying our paper money too.

Obviously, Charles Spurgeon wasn’t referring to American or Canadian money when he made his comment about adversity being the currency God uses to draw us closer to Him. Here is how the “Prince of Preachers” expanded on the subject…

“The very thing you ask God to change is the thing that is making you the son or daughter that blesses Him and others. Without these crises, you would fall into complacency and self-satisfaction. You would not seek God with a passionate heart. Fervent hunger for God often only comes through the fires of testing. It is the nature of His sons and daughters to desire a life without trials. However, you know not what you are asking. If you knew what awaits you on the other side and the inheritance you are gaining through these trials, you would ask God to send more!”

“For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison.” 2 Corinthians 4:17 (BSB)

- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President