Story Of The 91 Cents
Jesus said, “If you love me, feed my sheep.” John 21:17
It was a typical fall October day in Lyman SC when several friends met together at “Bojangles” to begin a journey that would change their lives. Many months before that day, God had planted in the hearts of Ron and Gail Eanes the need for a soup kitchen to feed the hungry in the Lyman, Duncan, Wellford, Startex, Jackson area. Those present at the meeting were Pat and Brian McKnight Sr., Joe and Sue Garrett, Eulala Pace, Kathy Young, Gary Kasprzak and Ron and Gail Eanes. They had come together, under God’s direction, to begin the planning of the“Breaking Bread for Jesus, Inc. soup kitchen.
Planning to meet again the next day, Eulala Pace was asked to prepare the devotion and prayer. As was her custom, when praying for a ministry, she read over several passages of scripture about God providing the needs of His people. God led her to several scriptures –“The Widows Mite” – “The Loaves and the Fishes” – “The Faith of a Grain of a Mustard Seed”. It seemed to her that God delighted in using the smallest of things to show the greatest of His power and love for His people.
For some reason she was drawn to a small metal box which held a few coins that were a gift from her Dad. She opened the box and took out a John F. Kennedy half dollar and dropped it into her purse, thinking that he would like to be a part of this ministry. The next morning during the prayer time, although she had not planned it, she reached into her purse and laid the half dollar on the table. She asked the person sitting next to her if they had a quarter, the next person a dime, the next a nickel and lastly she asked the next person if they had a penny. These coins represented the smallest valued of our coins and currency.
Placing her hands over the coins totaling 91 cents, she and the other members of the group lifted this offering to God as their faith offering believing that with only the faith as small as a grain of mustard seed, their work would be honored by God and he would turn this 91 cents offering into the amount needed to build the “Breaking Bread for Jesus, Inc. soup kitchen. They all had faith that with the little they gave, God would use and multiply it.
Over the span of the next several months, Breaking Bread for Jesus, Inc. worked to raise funds. The nonprofit was borrowing a trailer to serve meals to the hungry and has more recently been the Church Without Walls at 16 Carver Street in Wellford to serve. We are in great need of a permanent facility.
To raise money for their soup kitchen, Breaking Bread for Jesus, Inc. put on several fundraisers. As they were collecting items for an auction a couple from a local church donated a box of jewelry and coins. In the box was a framed coin collection totaling 91 cents.
This was our certification from God that He accepted our faith and we knew the mountain would move. The auction netted $3,010.91. God continues to honor this faith with the repetition of the 91 cents turning up on several occasions. We received an offering of an odd amount on a check and found out that the donor had given 91 cents times 365 days.
After Eulala finished speaking to a group, two men handed her a donation. Observing this a little boy said to his Mother that he wanted to give some money to the soup kitchen. The Mother was embarrassed that she had not brought her purse but realized she had a small change purse with her. She poured the contents of the change purse into the small boys’ hand. When he placed the coins in Eulala’s hand it totaled 91 cents.
As of April 17, 2017, God has multiplied the 91 cents 148,581 times and it continues to grow. Our present total is $200,000. God continues to move the mountain and with the repetition of the 91 cents, He continues to honor our faith of the mustard seed.
The first half dollar, quarter, dime, nickel and penny are safely tucked away and will be displayed in a prominent place in the LDWSJ soup kitchen.