It’s Your Dime

Martha Berry was the founder of the Berry School for needy children at Mount Berry, Georgia.  In 1932 she was named one of the 12 outstanding women in America.          

The story is told of how Martha had asked Henry Ford for $1 million to assist her school.  Ford coolly gave her a dime instead.  She graciously accepted the dime and bought some peanuts for her schoolboys to plant.  She took all the peanuts harvested that year and planted a larger field.  Eventually, she sold enough peanuts to buy a piano for her music students.

Martha wrote a letter to Henry Ford thanking him for the dime and relating all that the dime had done.  Ford was deeply moved and invited her to Detroit where he gave her the $1 million she originally requested. 

Could it be that God wants us to faithfully use the dimes we have rather than sulking over the dollars we do not have?  Look around.  God never expects us to do more than we are capable of doing, or give more than we have.  He does expect us to be faithful in the small things.

I recall a well-respected business man who was reduced to selling pencils on the street due to some unwise business decisions. The man not only lost his business, but his family, friends, and self-respect as well. One day a store owner passed him on the street and tossed fifty cents into the beggar’s hat and walked on by. Suddenly the man stopped, turned around and said, “Sir, I would like my pencils. I apologize to you. I mistook you for a beggar, when in actuality you are a business man.”   

The man received his pencils and went on his way. Several years later, a stranger came into the man’s store. The stranger was a well-dressed man with a confident air about him. The stranger introduced himself and began his story. 

“I want to thank you, Sir. Several years ago you bought some pencils from me outside here on the street. You told me that I was not a beggar, but a business man. I had lost sight of that after years of disappointment. You gave back to me the self-respect I needed to get up off the street and put my life back together. I now have my family, my business, and my sanity once again. Thank you for reminding me of who I was and who I am. God bless you, Sir.” 

Suppose that store owner had kept that dime of encouragement in his pocket. Big things consist of little things put together. We are all a lot wealthier than we think.

Jesus said, “Well done, good and faithful servant!  You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:21).  Maybe if we spent more time working with the dimes we have rather than complaining about the dollars we need, we would all be surprised how much we could accomplish.

Like they say when answering the phone at Joe’s pool hall, “Go ahead… it’s your dime!” Spend yours wisely.

For everyone who has will be given more and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. —Matthew 25:21

Blessings