The Gift

By Cheryle M. Touchton
The Pocket Full of Quarters Lady
This is dedicated to My Best Friend Nancy

Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. Acts 1:4-5 NIV


I was so excited. Two days with my best friend Nancy. The first night was to be at her house in Buford, Georgia and on the second night she was to travel with me to the television show in South Carolina. What a gift.

Nancy has been my best friend since high school. She is a faithful friend and a faithful supporter of Pocket Full of Change Ministries. A missionary day at Pocket Full of Change Ministries costs about $120. Each month, Nancy donates 1 day.

In anticipation of our time together, I asked God for a special gift. God, Nancy is so faithful to this ministry. It would be a special gift to both of us if you would let us lead someone to Christ together. Let her experience how her money is used.

When I arrived at her home, I was disappointed to learn that she’d forgotten about a prior commitment and couldn’t travel to South Carolina with me. We went to dinner that night and I looked for the gift I hoped God would send. Nothing happened – no doors opened. I was leaving early the next morning so I accepted that God had said no to my request.

Just before bed, Nancy suggested we go out to breakfast the next morning. I slept later than I expected and woke up rushing. I forgot about my request to God.

At breakfast, I did something I often do. I asked the waiter, “We’re Christians and are going to bless the food. Is there anything you’d like us to pray for?”

“Yes,” he said, grinning. “Pray for my hockey team to win.” Matt was a college student about to graduate. I knew the twinkle in his beautiful eyes was going to serve him well (see his picture in the photo gallery under Georgia – Buford).

“What if someone from the other team is also praying?” I quipped.

“You’ll just have to pray harder than them.”

We prayed for Matt’s hockey team. That began the conversation where Matt talked about Jesus and growing up in a church school. He wasn’t in church and had never actually prayed to ask Jesus to become his savior. I pulled out a tract from my purse.

“This is written by Billy Graham.” I said. “Do you know who that is?”

He thought for a minute. “I don’t think so,” he said. I’d never met anyone who didn’t know Billy.

“Trust me,” Nancy and I said almost at the same time. “His work is worth reading.” Matt took it and promised to read it. Matt kept returning to our table to talk about jobs, his future, God, and life issues. Suddenly, I knew God was going to give Nancy this gift.

“Matt,” I asked. “Would you like to change your destiny right now?” I’d stolen that term from a Facebook post from my pastor. Matt looked interested so I continued. “You could pray right now and become a Christian. We could read the prayer that is in that tract.”

“Ok,” he said.

Wow, I thought. That was easy.We opened the tract and Matt invited Jesus to become a part of his life. I gave him a card and left thrilled with God’s gift to Nancy and me. I thought about my doubts from the night before. God was waiting for just the right time to answer my prayer.

Nancy knew she was already a part of everyone this ministry leads to Christ because she donates and helps make these trips possible. She reads the stories I post so she already knew what happens on the road. Knowing and experiencing it are two different things and I was grateful that God gifted us with being able to, together, be a chapter in Matt’s story, “The Day My Destiny Changed.”
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Cheryle M. Touchton is the Director of Pocket Full of Change Ministries. For more information or to schedule a speaker for an event, go to www.pocketfullofchange.org or call Gail Golden at 904 316-5462.

This ministry exists because people like you are called to help fund the work of the kingdom. To help keep the Pocket Full of Quarters Lady on the road leading people to Christ, you can donate at Donate

Copyright: Pocket Full of Change Ministries

Miracle or Incompetence? You Decide

By Cheryle M. Touchton
The Pocket Full of Quarters Lady

Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin. Luke 15:9 NIV

Bob’s camper keys weren’t anywhere. I looked through the entire camper. I took everything out of my purse and shook it upside down. I keep my keys in the same outside pocket where I keep my tracts, Liberty bracelets, quarters, and pens so while I had it empty, I reorganized my tracts so I could easily reach them. I put everything back in the purse, ending up with the one last remaining Liberty Bracelet. I made a mental note to buy materials to make more Liberty Bracelets.

I’d had such a good day the day before. Several people had prayed to receive Jesus. Now I felt terrible. The keys couldn’t be replaced without getting a new alarm system. I’d lost 3 things that day and knocked my expensive projector onto the floor. I felt incompetent. I wondered if I should quit and return home. Belle the Missionary Dog must have been worried because she posted a blog about it. Encouragement and prayers poured in. At 12:21 AM, my pastor, Dan Nold wrote on Facebook:

“Easier to say when it's not me...but no less true... being a part of four chapters of four different lives, that all begin with the sentence... ‘Let me tell you about the day my destiny was re-written’ is certainly worth the missing keys. Praying for you!”

I’d never thought about using the word “destiny” with regards to leading people to Christ. I had a new relevant term to use in witnessing. The magnitude of being a part of someone’s destiny “being rewritten” washed over me and tears of gratitude sprang to my eyes. I was in Georgia and my new pastor had just reached out from Pennsylvania in the middle of the night and ministered to my discouragement. Not only were the keys worth being a part of someone’s destiny, I would have offered up the camper that the keys unlocked to be a part of such a miracle. I had perspective once again. Before I closed my eyes and went to sleep, I thanked God for my job but reminded Him that I’d still like my keys back.

The next morning, I grabbed my other set of keys and drove to the nursing home where my cousin, Luann, works. When I arrived, I carefully put the keys in my purse on top of the Liberty Bracelet. Inside, Luann played the piano and I led the singing of Amazing Grace with a room full of senior citizens. Then, I delivered a message of salvation and encouragement while showing pictures of places the people watching would probably never visit again. They listened with rapt attention and many cried. Afterwards, I walked around listening to their stories and praying with individuals. It was a good morning. I enjoyed ministering with Cousin Luann.

After the event, Luann and I headed to our cars. I told Luann about the missing keys and she called the church from the day before to see if there they were there. I opened my purse to get my keys and there on top of the Liberty Bracelet were two sets of keys.

“Luann,” I said excitedly. “Look.” I held up both sets of keys.

“Where were they?” she asked.

“In the purse I completely emptied yesterday. They were sitting next to the keys I used to get here. They were lying on top of a Liberty Bracelet, which was the last thing I put back in the purse. Is this a miracle or did I just miss them yesterday?”

Luann laughed. “Perhaps it’s both. I love you.” We hugged and she slipped some money in my pocket. When I looked at it later, it was enough to fund an entire day of ministry. I was touched. I knew that amount of money was a sacrifice. I guess Luann thought I was competent enough to invest in.

So I ask, what do you think? Am I really that incompetent…or blind or scatter-brained? Were the keys right there and I just missed them when I emptied my purse looking for them? Did God find my keys and gently lay them next to my other keys that I had just used, and on top of a Liberty Bracelet I was going to use to lead someone to Him?

A footnote to this story – the next morning I used the term “change your destiny” with a college student and he prayed with me to become a Christian. I’ll write that story after I get back from speaking on Nite Line Christian television tonight.


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Cheryle M. Touchton is the Director of Pocket Full of Change Ministries. For more information or to schedule a speaker for an event, go to www.pocketfullofchange.org or call Gail Golden at 904 316-5462.

This ministry exists because people like you are called to help fund the work of the kingdom. To help keep the Pocket Full of Quarters Lady on the road leading people to Christ, you can donate at Donate

Copyright: Pocket Full of Change Ministries

A Day Full of Miracles

By Cheryle M. Touchton
The Pocket Full of Quarters Lady

We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Cor 10:5-6 NIV

I wasn’t happy. I wanted to be asleep. I’d been on the missionary road for 2 weeks and had traveled from Pennsylvania to Florida. I usually sleep in campgrounds but the church I was speaking at that morning had generously bought me a hotel room. I’d set the clock for 7 AM but awoke at 5:45. Breakfast wasn’t until 6:30 so I walked Belle the Missionary Dog and did my morning devotions. At 6:30, I dashed downstairs. Breakfast wasn’t ready.

I peeked in the kitchen. A busy woman said, “It will be out in a few minutes.”

I’m not a morning person. Add hungry to the mix and I could have been downright dangerous. I took a breath and fought to take my nasty thoughts captive.

Instead of saying what I wanted to say, I asked politely, “Did I misread the breakfast time?”

“No,” she said as she frantically filled bowls. “I’ve been out for several days. They didn’t tell me that a machine was broken and everything was in a different place.”

“You’re having a bad morning. Relax. It will be OK. I’m a Christian missionary. I travel the country talking to people about Jesus. Tell me your name and I’ll pray for you.”

Her name was Mary. She calmed down and looked grateful. I prayed and she finished getting breakfast out.

“May I talk to you?” she asked, after everything was out.

“Absolutely,” I said, looking wistfully at eggs on my plate. “Have a seat.”

“I’ve been dating this nice man for 6 weeks. Jim talks about Jesus and wants to pray at meals. I went to Catholic school so I believe in God but he’s different than me. I want to be like that but I’m not.”

“Are you a Christian?” I asked.

“I think so – I’m Catholic.”

“If you’re Catholic, you believe in the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Right?” She nodded.

“I know you’ve confessed your sins.” She laughed and nodded.

“Have you prayed and invited Jesus to be your personal Savior and Lord?”

She hesitated before she said, “I must have.”

“I can tell by your hesitation that you haven’t. You would remember. I suspect that is the difference between Jim and you. Jim has probably asked Jesus to be his Lord and Savior so Jesus is personal to him.”

Another customer walked up so Mary had to go back her job. I finally ate my cold eggs. When Mary was between tasks, I tried to continue the conversation but she pointed to a table and looked self-conscious.

“Is that Jim?” I whispered. She nodded.

I was only two tables from Jim so I turned to him and said loudly, “Jim. Mary says you pray with her. Are you a born again Christian?”

“Yes Ma’am, I am. Since I was 12.” He could eat and talk at the same time. I’ve got to learn that technique.

“Mary and I have been talking about Jesus. She recognized Jesus in your life. Good for you! She believes in Jesus but hasn’t invited Him into her life.”

We both looked at Mary. I said, “The 3 of us could do this right now. You could pray and meet Jesus personally.”

“No, I couldn’t do it,” she said, backing up. “I’m too shy to pray aloud.”

“You can do this!” I said encouragingly. “I’ll tell you want to say. Hold our hands.” There in the Comfort Inn, in a small town in Sunny Florida, Mary quietly repeated the words that changed her life and eternity. When we finished, she was crying. Jim was beaming.

“Jim, you’ve got to promise to help her learn to study the Bible,” I said. “If I don’t hurry, I’m going to be late for my speaking engagement.”

After I got dressed, I took one of my books to Mary. She was still glowing.

I made my event just in time to set up. I began by telling the 300 women about Mary. Everyone clapped. I’m getting bolder about giving invitations after I speak, so at the end I invited people to do what Mary did. This particular church had planned an alter call. I stood awestruck as 4 people came forward to ask Jesus to be their Savior. To the surprise of the church, about two dozen people stepped forward for re-dedication or prayer.

What a day of miracles. If I’d given into the temptation of that morning grump, this entire day would have turned out differently. I loaded up my camper van Halleluiah, and Belle and I went off in search of our next miracle.

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Cheryle M. Touchton is the Director of Pocket Full of Change Ministries. For more information or to schedule a speaker for an event, go to www.pocketfullofchange.org or call Gail Golden at 904 316-5462.

This ministry exists because people like you are called to help fund the work of the kingdom. To help keep the Pocket Full of Quarters Lady on the road leading people to Christ, you can donate at Donate

Copyright: Pocket Full of Change Ministries

I think I'm Going to Join a Carnival

By Cheryle M. Touchton
The Pocket Full of Quarters Lady

For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles. Gal 2:8 NIV

I may join the carnival. I’d make more money and have more customers. I used to go book signings and act like a refined author. I think people thought I was a carnie because they’d walk right by, deliberately avoiding eye contact. One day, I decided that if people were going to treat me like a carnie, I was going to act like one. When I started using carnival techniques to entice people to stop at my table, I started selling books.

“Step right up,” I sometimes say. “You know you want to. What you are looking for is sitting right on this table.”

Other times, when someone gets within earshot, I say, “I’m so happy you came to this book store just to meet me. I’m Cheryle Touchton and I’d love to sign a book for you today.”

If people pass me, I say, “You just missed the best book in the store.”

Most people are good sports. They grin, walk over, and flip through the books. I begin my commercial. Today, one man said, “You’ve got to get over your shyness.”

To the ones who look confused, I say something like, “I wasn’t selling books acting like an author so I decided to try my hand at acting like a carnie.” I’ve wondered if my success using those techniques means I’d be a better carnie than author. But alas, God hasn’t called me to the carnival so I’ll just keep on pretending to be a carnie in book stores.

Today’s book signing was 4 hours long. It was Friday in a Christian book store, which didn’t bode well for selling books or being entertained. 4 hours is a long time to sit lonely, bored, and feeling rejected.

When I got there, they put me in the back in the Café. I wasn’t happy because the course, Book Singing 101, teaches to always sit in the front of the store.

As usual, I don’t know what is best for me but God does. I had a delightful afternoon.

Let me start by saying I sold 7 books, which is impressive for a Friday in Christian book store. That means I made about $11, which works out to a little less than $3 an hour. Admittedly, It is a hard way to make a living… especially, when you spend $6 in the café.

The café is where people go when they want to snack, reflect on life, listen to Christian music, read, or calm down. From the time I got there, God sent one ministry encounter after another. At several points during the day, I had multiple conversations going on at one time.

A grieving and lonely widow sat there for 3 hours. I suspect she comes in often just to be around people. She sat in silence reading until I engaged her in conversation. We talked off and on as she sat there. It took some work but little by little, she revealed the reasons behind her frozen look of sadness. As she shared, her face relaxed. She was disappointed with both of her adult sons, was selling the house she’d spent her life in, and was regretting not being nicer to her husband when he was alive.

“He was a good guy,” she said. “Why did I fuss about so many things that didn’t matter?” The sad thing about the conversation was that she had faithfully attended the same Baptist Sunday School class every Sunday without telling a soul how disappointed she was with life. Others in café engaged, spoke scripture to her, talked about grace, and got her phone number. She bought my book and thanked me when she left.

A man wore a troubled look of shock as he plopped down with his latte’. He sat alone sipping and staring until I talked to him. As his story poured out, I understood his horror. He’d been in town for 4 months, dealing with a brutal mass shooting. His former brother-in-law had murdered 4 people, including his former wife and the police officer trying to rescue them. His daughter was a target in the incident but had changed her mind at the last minute and hadn’t been at the place where the shooting took place. His daughter’s younger sister was shot and had spent months in the hospital. She’d lost the baby she was carrying. Family dynamics had grown bitter as people responded differently to the uncle, who was in jail, and arguments over the family business arose. I shared our family’s murder story and what I’d learned about forgiveness. I saw him relax as he realized that forgiveness was for him and not for the people who obviously didn’t deserve his forgiveness.

The dramatic stories continued as the afternoon progressed and people sought refuge in this Christian café. I spent time with a mother who’d recently lost her 21 year old son, a recovering drug addict, and an older man who was dating for the first time, 8 years after his wife died. As I left, I asked the owner if I could spend a day there on every missionary journey in the future. He agreed. Today, I got to do my work in an air-conditioned building, listening to Christian music, sipping diet cokes, and selling books. What a glorious afternoon. I guess I won’t join the carnival after all.


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Cheryle M. Touchton is the Director of Pocket Full of Change Ministries. For more information or to schedule a speaker for an event, go to www.pocketfullofchange.org or call Gail Golden at 904 316-5462.

This ministry exists because people like you are called to help fund the work of the kingdom. To help keep the Pocket Full of Quarters Lady on the road leading people to Christ, you can donate at Donate

Copyright: Pocket Full of Change Ministries

Things Didn't Turn Out The Way We Planned

By Cheryle M. Touchton
The Pocket Full of Quarters Lady

Are you hurting? Pray. Do you feel great? Sing. Are you sick? Call the church leaders together to pray and anoint you with oil in the name of the Master. James 5:13-14 The Message


“Where are you from?” the man I later found out was John asked. I saw it in his eyes. He had what I called the “Intensive Care Waiting Room” look. John had a burden.

“I live in Pennsylvania. What about you?”

“My wife and I are from Maine. We stay there until November and here until May.” Here was the KOA in the tiny town of Starke, Florida. They traveled in a truck pulling a large 5th wheel camper. “This is a nice campground. We love it.”

“I’m surprised,” I said. “My family lives 45 minutes from here so I’ve never stayed here before. I do like the campground.”

“Are you alone?” he asked.

I paused and prayed about how to answer. Telling a man I’ve never met that I’m alone in the camper next to him isn’t usually recommended. I trusted the peace I felt from the Holy Spirit so I answered.

“I’m a Christian writer and missionary,” I said. “I’m on a mission trip. I’ll be here until Friday. Do you have a church here in Starke?”

“No,” he said. “My wife is bedridden. We can’t go to church.”

“I’m so sorry,” I said.

“Life didn’t turn out like we planned,” he said. “She fell in 2005. She’s bed ridden. I do everything. I even lift her in and out of the truck. I’m doing the laundry now.”

“If you went to church, what church would it be?” I asked.

“We were Episcopal,” he said. I noted the word “were.” He didn’t identify with church.

“How long have you been married?” I asked.

“Fifty years,” he said, his face finally lighting up. I wondered how long he would be able to lift his wife in and out of the truck.

“Congratulations,” I said. “That is a feat now.”

John suddenly looked sad again. “My daughter’s getting a divorce.”

“I’m sorry,” I said. “Divorce is so painful. It hurts everyone. We just had a family funeral that brought divorced family members together. I realized how much I’d missed people I used to be related too. I hate divorce. It tears whole families apart. Bob and I have been married almost 39 years.”

“Yep,” he said, shaking his head. “It hurts all of us.”

“I can tell it’s hurting you. Do you have grandchildren?”

“They are all grown. All my kids and grandkids live in Maryland. We don’t see them much.”

“John, do you have any support?”

“Not really, it’s just me and Mary.”

“Is she good company? Does she still have her mind? Does she talk to you?”

“She does,” he said. “She has a good attitude.” I thanked God that something was going right in this poor man’s life. “Her arm’s all drawn up so I have to do everything but she’s good company.”

“My new book came out yesterday. The name of it is Dealing With Pain and Related Depression. It doesn’t sound like Mary’s depressed but she might enjoy reading it. I’m going to give her a copy of it. I’m also going to add Mary to my prayer list.”

“Thank you,” he said.

“John, I always ask people if they are a Christian. What I mean by that is do you believe in the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus, have you confessed your sins, and have you invited Jesus into your life. Are you a Christian?”

He looked at the ground, as if being reminded of something that had happened a long time ago. “I have,” he finally said.

“You need some help,” I said. “Even if you can’t go to church, maybe if you connected with the local church, they could be support for you.”

“There is a good Episcopal church right up the street,” he said, sounding hopeful. “When we come back in November, I think I’ll try to check them out.”

“Good idea,” I said.

I went back to my camper and got a book. I signed it, “Mary, I’m praying for you. Life can be hard but I understand that you have a good attitude. I can tell your husband loves you. You are blessed.” Cheryle M. Touchton Luke 10:27

I took it back to John.

“I’m finally done with this laundry,” he said.

“I’m doing laundry tomorrow,” I said.

“You’d better do it today,” he said. “It’s less crowded.”


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Cheryle M. Touchton is the Director of Pocket Full of Change Ministries. For more information or to schedule a speaker for an event, go to www.pocketfullofchange.org or call Gail Golden at 904 316-5462.

This ministry exists because people like you are called to help fund the work of the kingdom. To help keep the Pocket Full of Quarters Lady on the road leading people to Christ, you can donate at

Donate

Copyright: Pocket Full of Change Ministries

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No Matter What

By Cheryle M. Touchton

The Pocket Full of Quarters Lady



Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3 NIV


Our family may be sad but we celebrate together, no matter what. We are a big family because we constantly add to our numbers. When you marry or befriend one of us, your entire family becomes ours – no matter what. On Resurrection Sunday, as four generations of multiple family threads – some related by blood and all related by love – met together to celebrate Resurrection Sunday and search for colorful eggs in my parent’s pink azalea blooming yard, the weight of sadness hung in the sparkling Florida sunshine and tried to steal our joy.

Missing family members left gaping holes in our celebration. All four of my nephews were grieving. My two oldest nephews rode their bikes over from the home where their 51-year-old father had died in their arms just two weeks before. My two youngest nephews missed their grandma and my sister-in-law missed her mother, who was celebrating her first Easter in the presence of Jesus. We struggled with what to say to two women at the event alone due to marital strife and grieved the absence of their husbands. We felt guilty for even having the event because Grandma Touchton lay in a hospital bed in the final stage of her life, her mind already gone from the ravages of Alzheimer’s.

Serious illness tried without success to put a damper on Celebration Sunday. Among those searching for eggs and blowing bubbles were people suffering from chronic pain, aging related confusion and difficulties, and complications from and treatment for a kidney transplant trying to go into rejection.

As I write this, my husband sits at his mother’s bedside, watching each breath and wondering if it will be her last. I stayed with her until 3:00 AM the night before but since I had ministry and mission commitments in Orlando, Bob insisted that I continue my journey until he calls me to Jacksonville to be with my multifaceted and interesting family as we celebrate the life of my mother-in-law. We will celebrate – no matter what.

When our family gets together, no matter what, we celebrate the reason we come together. When we’re together, there’s always a chance that an argument or two will break out but – no matter what – it is forgotten in moments. This Resurrection Sunday, we comforted each other but we laughed at the blowing bubbles and the children searching for eggs - and we celebrated. That news of Resurrection Sunday is so good that even sadness couldn’t stop us from enjoying the day. Jesus is alive and because He is alive, we are too-no matter what!







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Cheryle M. Touchton is the Director of Pocket Full of Change Ministries. For more information or to schedule a speaker for an event, go to www.pocketfullofchange.org or call Gail Golden at 904 316-5462.



This ministry exists because people like you are called to help fund the work of the kingdom. To help keep the Pocket Full of Quarters Lady on the road leading people to Christ, you can donate at
Donate

Copyright: Pocket Full of Change Ministries

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Tortured by Life

I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. Ps 6:6NIV



“I know Calvary Baptist,” the woman next to me said. “They help people. They moved me into my house. I’d heard they helped old people so I called and a bunch of men showed up with a truck and moved me.”

“Have you ever worshipped there?” I asked. “We call ourselves the church without walls and moving you in is a great example. We like to be the church to our community.”



“Oh no,” she said. “I’ll never go to a Baptist Church. I was married to a Baptist preacher for 5 years. I found him in bed with a 17 year old.”



“Don’t blame all of us Baptists because of one bad one,” I said. “When I get back from this missionary journey, maybe you can go to church with me.”



I was sitting in Walmart, just a mile from my home in State College. My first stop on the 2010 Pocket Full of Quarters Missionary Journey was to get my nails done. I couldn’t believe how busy Walmart Nails was on Thursday afternoon. Four of us waited together and I already knew this woman had fallen down 27 stairs in 2004, was about to have her 7th knee surgery, had had 2 heart attacks, and had been abandoned by her 1st husband after 8 months. Her face showed the tell tale hollow sad eyes of someone tortured by life.



In fact, all three women waiting with me looked tortured. They knew about Jesus but none had a close personal relationship that could relieve their torture. The 33-year-old sitting across from me was recovering from a near fatal aneurism that left her stunned and disappointed with life. The woman on my left was overweight, in bad health, married to a Muslim, and had been trying to get pregnant for 10 years.



“My family wasn’t happy I married a Muslim,” she said sadly. “I figure it is all the same God but they didn’t see it that way. Jesus is in the Qur’an, you know.”



I nodded, while opening my purse and handing her 2 Christian tracts, Jesus and the Qur’an and Word Religions.



“Thanks,” she said. “You remind me of my friend. She is married to a Baptist preacher. She’s always talking to me about Jesus. I’ll read these.”



“She’s probably praying for you,” I said, smiling at her. “God probably sent me here.” I told her about traveling across the country helping people get to know Jesus. I gave her a card with a quarter in it. “This quarter represents the free grace of Jesus. That is the biggest difference about my Jesus. He loves us unconditionally and offers free grace. We don’t have to do anything to work for it. We just accept it. That information will tell you how.”



“I need prayer,” she said, looking down at the tracts. “We’ve been trying to have babies for 10 years. It isn’t going to happen without doctors we can’t afford.”



“My Baptist preacher husband and I tried to have babies, “ the first woman spoke up. “He used to get on his knees every night and beg God for babies. All that prayer didn’t do him any good.”



“I’m guessing that was before the 17-year-old,” I quipped, hoping to lighten the mood. It worked for a minute. She actually smiled.



“This is going to sound terrible.” She hesitated as if trying to decide to say something else. We all waited. “A man broke into my house and raped me. I got pregnant. We didn’t know whose baby it was so my husband got tested. He was sterile. The baby was from the rapist. I didn’t believe in abortion so I had her.”



Everyone waiting for nails service sat in stunned silence. They’d all been sharing their tortured tales but no one could top that story.



“How long ago was that?” I finally whispered.



“1975,” she said. “I guess it was good because I wouldn’t have my daughter.”



“You’re still grieving everything,” I said. “After all this time.” She shuddered and nodded. Everyone leaned forward to hear our quiet words.



“I’m dating a nice man but I won’t marry him,” she whispered. “Too many bad things have happened. I can’t be happy.”



“Yes you can! Life is hard,” I said. “The Bible warns us about that but there is a way to be happy. You’re tortured by life but you don’t have to carry all this around anymore. I have some scriptures here about grief. You can move past all this and be happy. I promise! I know people who have dealt with worse but letting Jesus help them.” I opened my purse and handed her a card with a quarter in it and a scripture card on grief and Jesus. Walmart Nails called my name so I stood up. The 2010 Pocket Full of Quarters Missionary Journey had begun.







==========================================================



Cheryle M. Touchton is the Director of Pocket Full of Change Ministries. For more information or to schedule a speaker for an event, go to www.pocketfullofchange.org or call Gail Golden at 904 316-5462.



This ministry exists because people like you are called to help fund the work of the kingdom. To help keep the Pocket Full of Quarters Lady on the road leading people to Christ, you can donate at

Donate

Copyright: Pocket Full of Change Ministries

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