The story of the Franklin, the $100 Bill

God spoke to me Sunday…. multiple times… so I have a beautiful story to share. It was as if I was seeing several fibers weaving together into the thread of my life, and in turn woven into the full fabric of His ongoing narrative. I hope my story speaks to you… on many levels… through numerous threads of your own.

On Friday I returned some cargo pants to Belk. They wouldn’t refund it directly to my debit card, but instead gave me cash. So I found myself carrying a $100 bill in my money/card clip, which is something I try to avoid unless I’m traveling. Sure enough, by Saturday morning as I was heading to the gun range to practice with my modern day swords, I realized I had misplaced my money clip, and as I tried to retrace my steps since last use it occurred to me that if I had lost it I was going to face the nightmare of urgently replacing all my credit cards,  my driver’s license and my gun carry license (good Gospel-based topic I’ll cover soon), and of course I might also have lost the $100 bill. To be clear, it wasn’t my potential loss of the cash that bothered me. My real burden was from the fact that I could have given that money to someone who needed it… maybe tossed it into the basket at Church as an impromptu love offering or handed it arbitrarily by God’s lead to a stranger in need. Thankfully I found the clip, so I chocked it up to “live and learn.” Late Saturday night my daughter Amber and I headed to our favorite local theater (Thoroughbred 20 in Franklin, TN… which rocks!). About midway through the film, at a point where the action was getting thick, I heard someone sitting near me drop their cell phone onto the floor, and it sounded exactly as my Droid would sound if I had dropped it in the theater (yes, it happens a lot), so I checked my pocket and it was safe and secure… good thing since Verizon charges $500 to replace this phone if lost. Amber even said to me, “daddy, I think you dropped your phone,” to which I answered “no fear, it must have been someone else.” When Sunday came, I was on my way out the door to church when I went to grab my Droid and money clip from their traditional resting places, and though I quickly found the phone, the money clip was once again nowhere to be found. Before I could complete my full sweep of the house and my car, the alarm bell and light bulb went off in unison… that wasn’t someone elses Droid that hit the ground in that dark theater, it was my MONEY CLIP. Oh the irony. I haven’t lost a wallet or money clip since I was 15 (and what a frantically disturbing experience… something I vowed never to experience again)… but by all logical deduction, my number was up… and this time I had a couple hundred dollars to lose… including that notable C-note. As I jumped into my car to race to the theater, hoping against hope, realizing I might have to miss church while dealing with this self-fulfilled mini-crisis, I quickly dialed the theater and got a busy signal. Please trust that I do my best to always walk in oneness with the Lord… in a state of constant communication with Him, come rain or shine. So on this dreary day that started with me gleefully readying for church, I instead found myself anxiously racing to a theater, re-dialing their phone every minute, while asking the Lord to forgive my disrespect of His gifts, and also for His help to overcome the frustration and shame I was feeling for being so irresponsible. As my mind flashed back to that frantic day when I was 15, I honestly felt a warm wave of calm overcome me… as the Holy Spirit reminded me that He was still ALL that matters, and that through my worship and obedience to Him, even in my times of stumbling, He is the same God that has taken all of my past mistakes and woven them into beautiful stories for the sake of others… and for me. So I received that… and praised Him for that truth… and simply trusted that He would once again make a little beauty out of my ashes… if I would simply believe… and be patient to wait for the story to play out.

I was about 5 minutes from the theater when the phone line finally rang, and for some strange reason a live voice answered. I didn’t care to ask what happened to the arduous recorded message (20 theaters make for a LONG recording) so I immediately put my faithfulness into action and calmly asked the woman who answered if someone had turned in my money clip from last night, and added the rhetorical that we would likely “find out how honest the young clean-up staff is” at the theater . Her immediate tone of professional empathy was very unsettling, as she stated that she would already have known if such an item had been turned in, but she asked me to hold while she checked the safe and after a minute or two she came back with an even more empathetic tone and said simply “I’m so sorry, but no one turned it in.” She asked me which theater I was in so she could look, but I told her I would be there in a few minutes to go look for it myself. At that, she put her manager on the line to ensure I got into the theater with no delays. The manager’s name was Pamela, and she immediately put me on hold to go double check the safe and to ask members of her staff if they knew anything about it. As I was pulling into their parking lot, she came back on the line and empathy had now turned to sympathy, as she confirmed that no one turned it in and then asked which theater I was in when I lost the clip. Since she was a manager that I felt I could fully trust, I told her “theater 10″ and said, “I’m heading through the door right now so I’ll meet you there.” As I calmly raced through the maze back to the theater (yes, as a track guy I can attest that it’s possible), and walked right by several check points along the way as if I was invisible, just as I was about to enter the door to theater 10 I suddenly heard the strangely calming sound of jingling keys coming up behind me. When I turned around a young lady asked, “are you Mr. Cap-ree-us,” and I immediately knew she had good news, as only someone trying to read my name would mis-pronounce it so badly. She then said “I think we found what you are looking for.” I had already dismissed that possibility, but it appeared “hoping against hope” can be a fruitful experience.

As we walked back to the office, she explained that it had been in the safe all along, but that the previous employee and Pamela the manager both overlooked it. Mystery or miracle, I didn’t really care. All I knew was that there was a good chance I would avoid the nightmare of replacing all my critical cards, and at that point I hardly gave the C-note and other cash a second thought. I had already written it off. But when she pulled the clip out of the safe, and asked me to remove it from the sealed bag they use for lost-and-found items, I was shocked to see ALL the cash was still there… including the $100 bill, which was the most visible item in my clip. I was deeply moved, but not for my good fortune, but rather by the fact that somone had found all that cash and could easily have pocketed it all before tossing the cards in the trash… or, if they were a “nice” thief, they could have just left it on the ground for some other good Samaritan to do the right thing with what was left over. I would have embraced that possibility with gratitude, so you can imagine how I felt when I saw every dollar right where I left it. Of course I asked who turned it in, and sure enough it was one of their young teen employees. It’s important to note that there was another show in theater 10 immediately after the show I attended, so it would have been incredibly easy for this young teen to pocket my clip and/or my money (and the storied C-note) with a perfect alibi for not having found it.

I again reflected back to when I was 15, and remembered that back then I was a Godless person that most likely would have kept the money and ran if I had found so much cash in that setting. Thank God I am no longer that person. Again, I was deeply moved. So I asked Pamela and the young lady for the name of the young man (who was probably 15 himself), and when they answered “Caleb” I heard God more loudly than I had in quite a while. I know I live in pristine Franklin, TN… the true buckle of the bible belt where there is a church on every corner and every hundred yards between every corner, but this sort of honesty was extraordinary to me, and isn’t the “stuff” of simple Christian upbringing. Even in Middle Tennessee, teenagers like finding money. For me, this “Caleb” was a sign of hope for my daughter’s generation… a generation that is surely wandering in a wilderness few will escape… but this young Caleb lived up to his namesake… as surely — if he remains true to his path of integrity to the high calling of God — he is one of the few who will enter the promised land of treasures in heaven, and on earth. All of this “Word” was swirling in me like a sermon directly from God, and it lasted maybe 2 seconds before I spoke (isn’t it amazing how much you can live in your heart and mind in just a split second… there’s a message in there too), and all I could say was, “please… if this is against company policy please let me know so I can find a way to work around it… but please give this $100 bill Caleb as a reward for being true to the Word of God.” The two women looked a bit shocked, but they both smiled and inferred that Caleb was definitely a kid who would greatly appreciate the gesture. As I turned to leave, I looked back at Pamela to see that she too was moved by the unfolding of this story… and probably contemplating the mystery of how the money clip suddenly appeared in the safe after I walked through the doors… and maybe even considered it to be a minor miracle with a purpose that might unfold over many years… only she knows… but I yelled back at Pamela, saying, “maybe all of this happened simply to bless Caleb”… not just with the treasure of a $100 bill, but far more, with the blessing of affirmation and reward for a young life that is clearly aimed in the right direction.

We never know when a blessing or love offering we make to a ministry or an individual may be the “tipping point” that sets their destiny firmly upon the rock of Christ. So pray for young Caleb, and rejoice that young people of high character are out there… even if just as a very small remnant… and never forget that they, like Jesus, often depend upon the kindness of strangers to free themselves from “stuff” to be a blessing from God in moments that truly matter… and doesn’t every moment truly matter? Reflect back on my story and how I handled each turn in the story. I made a lot of mistakes and wasn’t always in the right spirit mentally, but in my heart I never took my eyes off of God, and since my heart rules my mind I found myself trusting He would use my mistake for a purpose of His own…. and surely, surely He rose to the occasion with greater beauty than I could have imagined.

But wait… don’t leave me yet… Caleb and the money clip were just the first couple of threads that the Lord revealed to me Sunday… though surely the most profound, so I’ll be brief in my retelling of the rest. As I raced to church, knowing I would be very late and might even have missed a good portion of the pastor’s message, I was surprised to find myself walking in the door just as he was beginning the sermon. I now know that I was saved by the Holy Communion they decided to serve before the sermon (rather than afterward), and being a guy who practices Communion almost daily, it was a very fair trade off. If you have ever heard the guy I currently call my pastor, Chris Williamson of Strong Tower Bible Church, you already know why catching every word that proceeds from his mouth has power beyond mortal words. God stuff 100% of the time. This humble brother is the greatest teaching pastor I have ever met (and being very active in ministry for  nearly two decades I know some famously wonderful pastors). So I found the timing of my late arrival to be especially meaningful in the spirit, but his message was packed with clues and cues that were cracking me up… as the alignments with my day were befuddling. I believe in mere coincidence. Stuff happens. But some stuff ain’t coincidence. If you know what I mean, then you know what I mean. If not, well… I feel for you. But to bring this blog post in for a landing, I’ll dash through some of the threads that helped mark this day in the fabric of my personal narrative for the rest of my life. First, this was a rare church service I have attended without my 20 year old daughter Amber. Dating back to her 13th year when I gained sole custody of her (and every other weekend before that when I had custody of her) Amber has been at my side for 99% of the church services, mission trips, or ministry efforts I have ever attended. But on this Sunday, she was in the final day of her instructor certification to become a Tae Bo instructor, directly under tutelage of Billy Blanks and his daughter Shelli, who coincidentally run their headquarters out of Franklin Athletic Club… which we joined only because it was right down the street from our apartment, well before knowing of the Billy Blanks’ connection. It’s a coincidence worth noting because Amber is a 2nd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and had often been told by her past Masters that she should one day start a Martial Art School, or at very least get certified to teach Kick Boxing…. maybe even under Billy Blanks (who back when she was still studying had his headquarters in Los Angeles where we believed he still operated). All of that is a very cool alignment that we attributed to God the moment we met Billy and Shelli, as to our amazement and great joy, Billy and his entire family (and extended family of Team Tae Bo) have re-set their mission in recent years for the sake of Christ, and are not merely professing Christians, but also teach the Gospel throughout their curriculum, and do all but require their instructors be born again believers. I’ve attended one of Billy’s classes, and I can tell you first hand, in my 30 years as a fitness professional and avid gym rat I’ve never heard of such a thing. Some would say “only in Franklin, TN” but I know better. Billy and Shelli have a serious purpose in God’s great narrative. Their impact on Amber has been profound, as they have confirmed what I have prophesied over her many times… that wherever God lead us, He will put believers in our path that we will serve, and will in turn serve us through inspiration and genuine love.

So there I was, living “it” out in the most unexpected way… with a young man named Caleb that I have never met and may never meet… being served and inspired by him, as I pray I too have served and inspired him… then heading into a church service where the Pastor serves and inspires me in unprecedented fashion… in THE WAY I have prayed for since being born again in 1998… knowing all along that though my only child wasn’t with me on that day she was with other TRUE believers, co-inspiring each other, all in Jesus name, for the sake and purpose of inspiring others to strengthen their body temple with Christ in mind. It was a great moment of revelation, as I reflected in that split second all that God was doing to prove Himself alive in my life… speaking to me… moving in me… using me “out loud.” So in that moment, as a lay pastor prayed over Chris Williamson asking the Lord to speak through Him through the sermon, I too asked the Lord to teach me anew… all that I most needed to learn in this season, as surely such signs are not to be ignored. And to that, I felt Him tell me, “Wayne…. you are exactly where I want you to be…. as is Amber…. and Caleb…. and Billy and Shelli… and Chris Williamson too… be still, and know…” So now, if you’ve made it this far, I will challenge you to listen for yourself what the Lord said through Chris in the midst of that moment, as you can hear his sermons online. You will not be disappointed… it involves swords, and guns, and martial arts and boxing, and… get this… the use of a $100 bill as a metaphor for the Word of God. Take everything I said above and listen with open ears as you imagine what He was saying to me to affirm/confirm that my narrative in Him is right on track. This is my praise report… but for the message that might change your life (or at least change the way you treat the bible)… please Click Here and listen to Chris’s sermon from March 13, 2011. The sermon is there in audio for instant streaming, or you can watch the full church service on video if you let it buffer a bit. Chris’s wife Dorena led worship that morning. I love that couple.

My entire life has been marked by days like this… and I praise God for them. They are His milestones along the Way, and I pray that once you’ve read this post AND listened to the message Chris delivered right at the apex of this eventful day… you too will begin to have days like these… or many more I pray… but it all starts with knowledge of the true Word of God. Be blessed!

~Wayne Caparas

P.S. — It you’re thinking of what name to give your next baby boy… consider Caleb.. or Jude.  All smiles today…