A Dime to Call Home

by Marianne Coyne

For those of us who grew up in the fifties and sixties, we may remember the traditional dime to call home. When I was a young girl, my mother always made sure that no matter where I was , I had a dime to call home. As I reached the teenage years, venturing out into the world of school plays, church dances, and the exciting, yet daunting world of dating, my parents impressed upon me the importance of that little dime.

It was the silver cord which could connect me to them at anytime; the life line between me and the safety and care of my home and family. "Here's a dime, my mother would say. "If you need to come home, just call us and we will come for you.” I would tuck the little dime safely into my coin purse, and off I'd go into the world beyond. I suppose I never really thought of having to use it, but I think it was a comfort to know it was there. If I ever needed or wanted to contact my parents, I could. The sole purpose of that little dime was to connect me with my parents who loved me more than anyone, and wanted me safe and secure. If, while out, I spent the dime on something other than its particular purpose, my parents would say, "Why did you spend that dime? It's there for an emergency. What if you needed to call us and you couldn't!"

One day I was reminded of the dime, and I thought of its analogous representation for Christ, whose sole purpose is to connect us to our heavenly Father. Our Divine Parent gave us Christ to be tucked away securely within our hearts; ready to connect us whenever needed to His Father and ours. But unlike the dime our earthly parents gave to us, Christ is not meant to connect us in time of need only. We have a Parent who wants us to "call home" at all times; for guidance, understanding, safety, and above all, love. He is a Parent waiting and willing to come to where we are and take us home no matter what the circumstance or conditions. He is a Parent who patiently gives us His love, His gifts, His very Self. And the "dime" He has given us is perpetual; not one, which when used once, needs to be replaced.

Throughout the Gospels we hear of all those who used that precious Dime to call home to God, and their Father came and took them back from wherever situations led them; from disease and failure, and even from death. Whenever they looked to Christ, they were given the safety, security, and peace of their Father. A fringe of His robe, a touch of His hand, a word from His mouth was the "dime".

We had faith in the little dime given to us by our parents. The cell phone generation may not understand the significance of the dime, but I pray they understand the significance of Christ. So the next time we go forth into the world of a new day, and our Parent asks us if we have our Dime to call home, I hope we can say, "Yes, Father, He's right here, safely tucked in my heart."

copyright©2008 Marianne Coyne