“There are two sides to every coin, but if you split a quarter, you still won’t get twelve and a half cents. You just get a crack.”

Those words came out of my mouth during a conversation I never expected to have.

Someone I care about was hurting, and another person was trying to explain why things had happened the way they did. We were each looking at the same situation through very different lenses.

As we talked, I quietly said,

“Somewhere between your truth and their truth is the truth…and that’s what we should be looking for.”

Then came the thought that stayed with me long after the conversation ended.

“If you split a quarter, you still won’t get twelve and a half cents. You just get a crack.”

A coin was never meant to be separated.

Neither were truth and grace.

So often we become determined to defend our side that we stop searching for God’s perspective. We see one face of the coin. Someone else sees the other. But God sees the whole coin—including the parts hidden from everyone involved.

What I’m most grateful for isn’t that I made my point.

It’s that I didn’t lose myself trying to make it.

There were moments when I could have raised my voice, spoken from my hurt, or said things that could never be taken back. Instead, I chose to stay as calm as I could. Not because I agreed with everything being said, but because my witness mattered more than winning an argument.

Scripture reminds us:

“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”
— James 1:19–20

Being slow to anger doesn’t mean pretending wrong is right.

It means refusing to let anger become the author of our words.

Cracked coins don’t spend well.

Neither do cracked relationships.

Not every relationship can be restored. Not every misunderstanding will be resolved. Not every person is willing to search for truth. But we can always choose to leave a conversation knowing we reflected Christ.

Sometimes the greatest victory isn’t having the last word.

It’s walking away with nothing you need to apologize for later.

Prayer

Father, help me seek truth instead of simply defending my position. Give me ears that listen, a heart that remains tender, and a tongue that is governed by Your Spirit. When conversations become difficult, remind me that my character speaks long after my words are forgotten. May I never sacrifice my witness for the sake of winning an argument. Where hearts have been cracked, bring healing according to Your perfect will. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Love, Chelle
DefyGravityWithoutWings.com