The Coin in the Fish's Mouth
"Go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee." (Matthew 17:27)
This story, in my opinion, is one of the most fascinating of Christ's miracles. It may seem simple and mundane at first, but what astounds me is the turn of events that needed to happen in order for the miracle to occur:
- Somebody was carrying a four-drachma coin, which was the exact amount Peter would later need to pay the tax (two drachma for him and two for Jesus).
- This person lost that coin in the Sea of Galilee (an area of 64 square miles).
- A fish managed to pick this coin up at some point and keep it in its mouth.
- This fish happened to be in the exact place that Peter would cast his line, and it was the very first fish to get caught on the line.
Peter had a need, and our omnipotent God began a miraculous series of events to satisfy this need, even before the need was even known! And what touches me even more is that the money would go toward fixing a mistake that Peter himself made (by answering incorrectly about Jesus owing taxes). This shows that even when our trials are of our own making, God still has compassion on us and wants to help us solve our problems.
So, do miracles like this happen in our day? Based on events in my own life this last week, I can definitely say yes, they do!
Much-Needed Comfort ... in a Roundabout Way
Without getting into much detail, I've had some health problems recently that have naturally come with a long trail of medical bills. It's not more than we can handle, but it's been a stressor for me, especially because the dozens of medical tests have yielded no results. This has been really weighing on me lately, but as usual, an omnipotent God came through with answers ... through a miraculous turn of events:
- My daughters got sick with colds at the end of last week.
- On Sunday, my husband offered to stay home with them during sacrament meeting so that I could go. Because I was without my kids, I was able to actually listen and focus!
- The assigned speakers didn't take the entire time, so our bishop was inspired to ask two young women to come and bear their testimonies. One of the young women briefly shared that she's had some health problems recently but has been able to develop greater faith through it all.
- I felt impressed to reach out to this young woman, so I texted her and asked her to share her experiences with me. She suggested that we meet up and talk.
- On Monday evening, she came over and we had a really good discussion. I learned a lot from her, like the importance of praying often when dealing with health issues.
- She mentioned a book she was reading (given to her by another member of the ward) that has also helped her out. Later that night, she actually delivered a copy of the book to me, saying that she felt impressed to just go out and buy it for me because it felt time-sensitive.
- On Tuesday night, I was feeling really off-balance because of the financial stress, and I asked Heavenly Father to help me find balance again.
- On Wednesday evening, I didn't have any freelancing work to do, so I picked up the book. I noticed there was a chapter on money and turned right to it.
And there, in that chapter, was my four-drachra coin: the exact thing that I needed in order to find balance again. Several quotes really stood out to me, including these two:
"Start burring the boundaries between money coming in and money going out. Both flows sustain and nourish you. Just as a plant takes in carbon dioxide and releases oxygen, we must both receive money and release it." [185]
"Within your emotional reaction to every money issue, opportunity, debt, bill, or challenge is an opportunity to find joy. Alarmed by those overcharge drafts you incurred? First, shift your original fear into joy by being grateful that you have a bank account. Now pay attention to the message of fear, which says that it's time to take action." [190]These simple gems of wisdom were enough to lift my burden, pulling me out of my rut and helping me refocus on the future with joy.
A One-Time Thing?
After this happened, I thought back to all the events that led to that point, and I was in awe at the goodness of God. But that got me thinking: was this really just a one-time thing, or is God that involved in our lives all the time and we just don't see it? It reminds me of a scripture in the Book of Mormon:
"And then shall they rejoice; for they shall know that it is a blessing unto them from the hand of God; and their scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes." (2 Nephi 30:6)I think that in a coming day, the "scales of darkness" will also fall from our eyes as we look back on our lives and realize just how intricately the Lord was involved in blessing us. And as we wait for that glorious day, perhaps we can pray to discern these small yet significant miracles in our lives right now.
The story of the coin in the fish's mouth is a reminder to us all that God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and truly wants to help us. It requires a little effort on our part—having the faith to "cast your line" out there—but our efforts will always be preceded and followed by God's often unseen blessings. As the Lord Himself says, "I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." (D&C 84:88) I know that this is true, and I hope and pray that we all feel that a little bit more in our lives.
