The Coin in the Fish's Mouth

In the past year or so, I've been trying to find solutions to some challenges in my life. It seems everywhere I turn, I come up against another roadblock. Last week, I hit the wall and was very frustrated with a couple of long-standing issues. While talking with a friend about what was going on, she reminded me of the story of Jesus and the coin in the fish's mouth.

When Jesus and his disciples came to Capernaum, the tax collectors came to Peter and asked him to pay the taxes. Jesus said to Peter, "Go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a 4-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours" (Matthew 17:27).

My friend supposed that Jesus wanted his disciples to look for answers in unexpected places. To keep an open mind to what good, what possibilities, may be present. To not lose hope even when things seem dark or scary or without a way out. This story of Jesus, and this explanation, brought me so much inspiration and hope.

I thought of other times in my life when an answer came in an unexpected way. One example is that there have been a couple times in my life where people have given me a used but well-running car when I needed transportation. What a gift, to find yourself without a dependable car, and to have someone suddenly say, "Oh, I have an extra car. You can have it." Another example was when I needed some help with something, and the help was donated by a group of people, the majority of whom I didn't even know. It was very unexpected, but so needed and so full of love. That night, after talking with my friend, I immediately thought of many examples of unexpected solutions that had blessed my life, things that seemed unimaginable but nonetheless came into my experience. People who came into my life and helped me and blessed me more than I can say. Healing experiences, moments where I felt God's presence, seemingly impossible situations where the answers were finally uncovered. Such gifts that were there right when I needed them. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (James 1:17).

Sometimes when I am so focused on finding the answers to problems, I tend to look at the problems instead of to the solutions. I focus so much on what is before me, the challenge or the pain or the conflict. What I want to do, what would probably be more beneficial, is to keep an open mind about every possible solution that might be out there, and also know that many times, the solution that will come will be something I hadn't even thought of. Maybe Jesus is just encouraging us to think outside the box, and to keep praying, because we never know how the answer will come.

There are still a couple of issues I am facing which I don't know the answers to. And everyone has some challenges, maybe even some incredibly overwhelming problems, that they are dealing with, things that do not seem to have answers. And I think it is common to begin to lose hope after we struggle and fight, and search for solutions, and still the problem doesn't seem to be yielding. But after being reminded of the story of the coin in the fish's mouth, I suddenly felt so much hope again. For myself, for my friends and family, for people in my community who are all searching for answers. God has so much good, so much love, and infinite ways to express it and pour all that good into our lives.