God Supplies Food
“God always does above all we can ask or think,” said Miss Clara. “He delights in giving us good things.”
I am going to tell you a true story of how God sent us food. My father was a minister, and often we saw hard times. Once when I was a little girl, Father had to go away, and he didn’t even have one cent to leave Mother to buy food while he was gone. He told Mother he would not go without leaving us money. She told him he must go, that God would take care of us.
We had some potatoes, a few cans of fruit, a little dried corn, salt, and sugar in the house, but the flour bin was empty. Mother did not believe in going in debt, and we bought only what we could pay for.
We still had one loaf of bread when Father left. When that was gone, there was no flour to make any more. Mother smiled and told us that God knew we needed flour, and for us not to worry. She had us all kneel with her while she asked our Heavenly Father to send us a sack of flour. Then she arose and made the rising for the bread just as if the flour bin was full. She then said, “Now children, I’ve done all I can; God will do the rest.”
We all went to bed strong in faith that God would answer our prayers. I almost expected to wake up in the morning and find a sack of flour in the kitchen. When my brother came down stairs, the first thing he asked was, “Has God sent the flour yet?”
Mother lifted the lid from the bread bowl and let us see how light and foamy the rising was. All it needed was the flour. We ate our scant breakfast of potatoes and salt, then Mother knelt by the empty flour bin and praised God because He had said His children would never need to beg for bread.
Mother and I washed the dishes, and Mother started to sing the old song, “Oh, for a Faith That Will Not Shrink.” My little brother, who was looking out the window, said, “Somebody is tying a horse and buggy to our fence.” A woman came up the path empty-handed.
Mother invited her in, but she acted rather embarrassed. She was not a Christian, and never had been to church. Her daughter had been converted, and she knew Father and Mother had been praying that she might be saved, too.
She talked about the weather, and kept twisting her scarf. Finally, she said, “I want to tell you a strange thing that happened to me this morning. As I was getting breakfast, I heard a voice say, ‘Take Brother H—some flour.’ I knew no one was in the kitchen but me, and I was scared. Then I heard it again, ‘Go take Brother H—some flour.’ I suppose I’m a fool, but do you need flour?”
By this time Mother was crying and saying, “Praise the Lord.” She told the woman of her prayers for flour. She showed her the empty flour bin and the crock of yeast rising. The woman began to cry. Going to her buggy, she gave my brother a sack of flour and handed me a part of a smoked ham, while the younger brother and sister carried a jug of milk and a bucket of butter.
“I just thought if the Almighty was telling me to take you the flour, like as not you needed the butter, too, so I brought some along,” she said.
Mother kissed her and said, “You look like an angel to us.” Then we held a real thanksgiving prayer meeting. And then the dear woman gave her heart to Jesus right at our house.
Before Father came home people had come from all parts of his parish and gave Mother food and money.
--Way of Faith
