Loaf Of Bread

As the snows come down and winter settles in for its season, I am reminded of a story from somewhere, sometime ago.

There was a child who had baked his first loaf of bread. He was very pleased with the color, being a light brown, and with the aroma, a sweet smell to the senses. The child told his father whom had overseen the baking process, that he wished to dedicate the loaf to the Lord as a first fruit. His father was pleased and suggested the boy take it to the church down the road and present it to the priest.

It was very cold outside as snow and ice had been coming down for the past two days. Nevertheless, the boy put on his coat and mittens, his trusty boots, and placed the bread in a basket. He had no cover for the basket but knew the church was only a short distance away and it would not take him long to get there.

The boy started out the door and went through the gate. As he was proceeding down the road a bird flew on the basket and pecked a piece of bread from it. The boy shooed it away. Soon another bird come and did the same thing. Then another, and another till there were only a few crumbs left in the basket. As the boy reached the church he was crying and very upset that his prized loaf of bread was gone. He kept thinking,” If only I had covered it I would have brought great pleasure to the priest. For I know it was most excellent bread.”

As the boy went up the path to the door of the church the priest met him. “Son,” he said “Why are you so upset and tearful. Please tell me.” So the boy gave an account of what had happened. The priest, squatting down so as to be equal with the boy, said. “Was it not in your heart to give this bread to the Lord even before you left the house?” The boy answered and said that it was. The priest then spoke with the child ever so softly and said, “When you thought in your heart to give the loaf to the Lord, it became His. And look what He has down with it. He has feed His birds, who were hungry, but are now full. There is no seed for them as the ice and snow has covered the ground.”

The priest then looked in the boys teary eyes and said, “Well done good and faithful child.” He then took him to an area by the stove and they had hot chocolate as the child warmed up.

-Author known only to me.