A.J. Ogden

One day while walking home from school in 1934, I was thirsty, I mean real thirsty for a Coke which I only had about three or four months apart. As I began to walk toward home down that gravel dusty road, there was a grocery story about a mile from town. I passed it many times, reading the big sign on the side wall. The sign made me more thirsty, “Coca-Cola, the pause that refreshes.” This day I had eaten only one sweet potato that I had carried to school for lunch. It was only a small tater and I was still hungry and thirsty. Cokes cost a nickel and I was broke.

At lunch period I hid behind the hedges to peal and eat my tater, but the wealthy town kids found me and my tater. They mocked me and made all sorts of fun of me because I didn’t have a proper lunch. They made up little songs about my ragged pants, patches and holes in my shirt. That was almost a daily ritual, to make fun of my poverty.

But, this one day I prayed on the way home for a Coke, not knowing just how much the Lord was listening. I thought maybe Jesus was too busy to fool with a little boy like Ogden, but He wasn’t! Just as I walked close enough to see that mouth watering sign, I looked down and you cannot imagine what I saw. I saw a dingy, dusty, dirty silver dime in the gravel and dust. I scraped it off the best I could with my pocket knife and headed for the store. Joy was in the heart of a little boy because of a little dusty dime.

I purchased the Coke that God gave me and spent the rest on some peppermint candy for my Mom. Believe what you will, I think God supplied that dime for which I gave thanks. He has since then supplied all my needs for eighty-three years.