THE GOLD COIN
"Jesus said to him, "You still lack one thing.  Sell everything you have
and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.
Then come, follow Me."  Luke 18:22

      Shortly after I married my first husband Patrick, his father said to me, "Lenore, I am giving you this twenty-dollar gold piece.  It is yours to do with as you wish.  I am giving one to each of my sons' brides."

      I kept it tucked away like a valued keepsake, never intending to spend it unless times go really tough.  I called it my "bean money."  It gave me a sense of security to know I was never truly without funds as long as I had my gold coin hidden away.

      I suppose you are wondering why I called it by "bean money."  If you've never known hunger you probably think my reasoning a little paranoid.  Before my brother Norman and sister Frances and I were taken to the orphanage we were found in Portland, Oregon scrounging in garbage cans for food.  I was around three and a half, Norman was five and Frances was eight at the time.

      Frances said to me, "Lenore, our mother is too sick to take care of us.  Aren't we lucky that the orphanage took us in?  now we won't be hungry anymore."  All the time I lived at the orphanage, I never knew hunger.

      Later, when Mr. and Mrs. Hall took me from the orphanage to adopt me, I went to bed hungry every night unless I managed to steal some food.  It wasn't because the halls were poor:  Mrs. Hall was just mean-spirited.  Can you see the connection to my "bean money?"

      More than fifty years later, after I married R.J. and became a Christian, I still had my gold coin.  My family had never gone hungry, though a few times I thought we might.

      One Sunday our pastor announced, "I am going on a ministry trip to Europe.  If anyone would like to help with expenses, it would be appreciated."  I went home wondering what I could give.  We had no extra funds at that time.  That afternoon I prayed, "Oh Lord, I have nothing I can give the pastor."  the Lord spoke to me, saying "What about your twenty-dollar gold piece?"

      "But, God," I stammered, "that is my "bean money."  I couldn't give that away.  What if times might get tough?  We might need it."  God said, "Lenore, don't you trust Me to take care of you?  Haven't you read My promises in the Bible?"

      I replied, "Well, yes, I have read Your promises many times.  But are You asking me to give my "bean money" away?"  I knelt there a long time wrestling with the decision:  should I, or shouldn't I"  Do I trust God or not?  Recalling all the wonderful things God had done for me since I became a Christian, I finally said, with determination, "God, I will give my gold coin to my pastor for his ministry trip.  I believe Your promises and I am going to trust You."

      I wrote a note that went something like this:

            Dear Pastor,
                  I am giving you this twenty-dollar gold piece, which I call
            my "bean money"  I've saved it in case I was ever too poor to
            buy food for my family.  God told me to give my gold coin to
            you for your ministry trip expenses.
                  May the Lord bless you.
                                                            Your friend,
                                                                  Lenore Moss

      It took much courage for me to give up my gold coin that day.  I took a giant step in learning to trust the Lord.  I have never regretted my decision, and indeed, I have never been without funds or food since.

      My security is not in "bean money," but in trusting the Lord, Who has promised to supply all my needs.  I praise God for His faithfulness!