A few months ago, my wife and I shared a story while teaching at City Chapel. This story has had a much bigger impact than we expected and I think it would be helpful for me to outline it here.
First of all, several City Chapel members have been finding dimes.
Secondly, we are not a (dime) cult. Let me explain.
About 9 years ago, our family was just beginning. Both Row and I quit our jobs and ran off to get married in the hills of Colorado! We then drove around the country and slept in our car as I interviewed for several different ministry positions. God wouldn't give us peace about taking any of the well paying jobs I was offered, but instead directed us to a volunteer position near Nashville, TN. While we loved the church we were at, both of us felt like we were basically sitting around doing nothing most of the time. I think this is because we were basically sitting around doing nothing most of the time. While we tried to engage, it wasn't really working. It's like we were in a holding pattern. Why would God direct me away from so many great opportunities only to have me circling a runway (that's a reference to the 'holding pattern' metaphor)?
Now, I'm not sure how this fits in your doctrine, but I began asking God to give me some kind of sign that we were in the right place. I just felt like I needed something extra for my faith to stay alive. Fact is, I can stay in a holding pattern if I know that He has put me there, but I have to know.
That's when we started finding dimes. Not dimes and nickles or pennies, but just a single, solitary dime. At first I thought it was a little odd. I mean, if someone loses some change, they're bound to lose more than a single dime. But a few days later, I woke up and found a dime under my pillow. That's when I told Row about it. She said that she had been finding dimes as well. Like in her shoe when she went to leave the house or on the counter right after she cleaned it. Always a single dime, nothing more. We found dimes everywhere and in every room/closet of our house. Row filled a bag with the ones we were finding. I would step out of my car and look down to see a dime. The doors at Walmart would open and a dime would be right there on the floor. One time, I parked near some grass and something in the grass caught my eye. I walked about 5ft onto the grass and picked up a plastic dime! I thought that was a nice touch. This phenomenon began 9 years ago and has continued to this day. Recently, Row, me and another couple were standing in our kitchen talking, when a dime dropped out of mid-air and landed in the middle of us. Our friends were a little surprised, but we were like, "Oh hey, there's another one."
Ever since Row and I shared our "dime story", several people in City Chapel have been finding dimes in a very similar way. In fact, the dime finding started about an hour after church. Just today, I saw on Facebook that 3 of our members posted pictures of dime findings. At this point I have to conclude that God is choosing to use this rather strange sign to speak to me personally and to our greater church family. So what does it all mean? Here are 3 things for you to consider:
1) Dimes appear to me when I am uncertain or afraid that I am not in the right place or not doing the right things.
I'm often questioning things and personally struggle with doubt way more than I would like to admit. In terms of Jesus' original disciples, I can relate more to Thomas the doubter than I can to Peter. However, the dimes usually appear in front of my feet. It's almost like God is saying, "Hey, I knew you were going to walk there today." or "I knew you were going to park there." "I knew you would be right here, right now." Here's a scripture for you.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,
And He delights in his way. - Psalm 37:23
What would it take for you to have faith enough to believe that God is able to order your very steps? Does God really find joy in watching us walk? Absolutely. Actually, I think your "steps" and your "stops" can be ordered by the Lord!
2) Dimes are worth 10 cents.
Stick with me. When the number 10 is used in the bible, it usually stands for "order". This ties in with my first thought, that our steps could be "ordered" by the Lord. This means that if we are following Jesus, there is some "order" to our chaos and uncertainty. However the "order" doesn't come from us, but from "the Lord". Often, I find these dimes when I am most uncertain, but also most reliant on God and His order. When Jesus told us to pray, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done..." He was at once both encouraging us to ask for God's order and at the same time, release our own sense of order. In other words, if His kingdom is to come, ours has to go. Keep surrendering. Keep asking for His will. May His order invade ours.
3) A dime is a denomination of value.
Do you know how valuable you are to God? Below is scripture from The Message paraphrase. Let it sink in.
