Living Bread and Mary Poppins

One of my favorite memories, as a little girl, was driving through downtown Dayton, when the Wonder Bread factory, was busy baking. Ummm, how WONDERFUL the air smelled! On my favorite school field trip, a kind lady passed out a miniature loaf, with happy red, yellow and blue dots, to each of us when we left. The smell of fresh baked bread is heavenly. I LOVE to bake – when I have time. As a matter of fact, my old-fashioned name – Martha means – “baker of bread.” Further, I’m laughing now, as I just realized my prayer picture for today, involves bread on the day I’m planning to bake it for my Thanksgiving “spread” next week. You gotta love it when you see God’s plan “come together” (as Hannibal of the A-Team used to say).                                                  

As I knelt to pray today, I was humbled by kind comments some have expressed in appreciation for these prayer pictures. As I got quiet, God reminded me that I’m simply experiencing the joy that comes from “feeding” with the bread He’s baked in my own heart. Praying on, I saw strong, tender, loving hands – God’s hands, extended toward the Earth. Below, I saw my own hands holding a Bible. And from it - small animated, living cells of nutrition (with legs!) were “jumping off the edge of the pages ” – eager to reach souls that were hungry.                                                             

 That’s our opportunity – to feed the whole starving world with living bread that produces eternal life. In the wonder of that truth, I find I always want to apologize to God for being so fallible. And when I do, He reminds me that He only uses the weak to confound the mighty. More importantly He reminds me it is not and never will be me – but His Spirit in me and in all of us that will accomplish His Glorious will. Therefore He requires we be “happy and fulfilled” by the satisfaction obedience provides – because Jesus deserves all the praise His power performs.                                  

As I pictured the weak vessels God uses, two movies came to mind, “Home Alone” and “Mary Poppins.”  Specifically, I saw the tattered people that sat in lonely places, “feeding the birds.” Beside these characters, in the movie, were busy ones; people who were frustrated – even annoyed by these who would use their money and energy for such a purpose.                           Reached to extend a kind word lately? Passed out a tract? Given any dollars? Fed any birds? Luke 12: 6 – 7, “…not one of them is forgotten before God.. But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.”

God’s care for His creatures has never been dependent on their worthiness. Wearing the righteousness of God, no child of His will ever be forsaken; we will never have to beg for bread. And yes, He’s always looking for humble bread bakers. As I’m writing, I’m hearing the words of an old Hymn, “Break Thou the Bread of Life, Dear Lord to me, as Thou didst break the loaves beside the sea…”   At the Spirit’s request, I’m working to build a hunger in my grandchildren not only for God themselves, but for the work of feeding His flocks huddled in the trees of this world. For fun recently, we had the “world” for supper. We painted tortilla shells like the Earth and stuffed them with taco meat. Remember, you and I will have leftovers to share in proportion to the living Word we’re feeding on ourselves. Matthew 10:8 “Freely you have received, freely give.”