Otha Anders is a remarkable teacher from Louisiana with a unique hobby. Imagine this: you find a penny, pick it up, and instead of spending it, you keep it.

Now, picture doing this for 45 years. That's exactly what Mr. Anders did. His reason? Not for money, but for a moment of gratitude.

Every penny he found was a little nudge to pause and say a thank you prayer. Whether it was at a gas station or inside a store, each penny reminded him to be thankful for the day.

Mr. Anders started his collection back in the late 1960s, and it wasn't about getting rich. Even when there was a chance to make a profit from collecting pennies, he stuck to his coins because they meant more to him than just cash.

They were reminders of gratitude, tiny tokens that brought him closer to a moment of prayer and reflection. And he was strict about it too because he wouldn't even let his family give him pennies. Every single one had to be found. It was his personal journey with a touch of divine connection.

This hobby turned into a quest of filling giant water jugs with pennies. His initial goal was to fill five jugs, but his collection just kept growing until he filled fifteen! Imagine the sight of that, a mountain of jugs filled to the brim with shiny copper pennies.

After realizing his house insurance wouldn't cover his vast collection, Mr. Anders decided it was time to take his coins to the bank. Origin Bank in Ruston, Louisiana, where he was a longstanding customer, was up for the task, even if it meant breaking open jars with an ax and counting coins for over five hours.

The final count was astonishing 513,614 pennies, adding up to a little over $5,136. But for Mr. Anders, the value of his collection was never about the money. It was about the prayers, the moments of gratitude, and the personal satisfaction of a journey shared with God. A story that reminds us all, sometimes the smallest things can hold the biggest meanings.

Watch the incredible video below:

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(via ABC News)