Sharing Bread

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” John 6:35 (New Oxford Bible)

After I was widowed in 1999, I started sharing my homemade bread with friends. As a Christian, sharing bread has always been a sacred thing for me. At first, I started taking half a loaf of bread to my older friends. They told me they enjoyed the bread, but I think it was actually my visit that was the most important.        

Over these past 25 years, my list of “Bread Friends” has changed. Some of these friends have moved away and some, sadly, have gone home to be with Our Lord, but I continue to add people to my list. 

I have had some very interesting experiences sharing bread. For example, one lady told me she only ate the bread as toast. When I asked her why she didn’t eat it any other way she said, “Well, it just makes such good toast I don’t want to waste it on anything else!”

My most embarrassing experience sharing bread happened when I shared half a loaf with a 90+ year old gentleman in my water aerobics class. He had asked if he could be on my list. It was December so I told him yes, but it might be a while. It was Christmas week when I delivered the bread to him so I stuck a few Christmas cookies in the sack as well. He thanked me for the bread and then he reluctantly said he would eat the cookies as well but that he was actually Jewish. I was so embarrassed that I offered to take the cookies back home with me. Following that “dicey” moment, he said he didn’t want me to be embarrassed. Then he asked me if I would consider making a loaf of Jewish rye bread for him. I said I would try and then I learned dill pickle flavoring was needed to make his recipe for Jewish rye bread. I’d never heard of dill pickle flavoring! It was definitely a day I’ll never forget! 

More recently, I added a long time Eastridge friend’s name to my list and brought half a loaf of bread to her on a Sunday morning. What she did with the bread really surprised me and it touched my heart so that it brought tears to my eyes. I asked her to write a synopsis of what she did and send it to me because I wanted to share her story with the Eastridge Devotional page readers. The following are some of her words:  

“This past week you asked if you could bring a gift to me from your kitchen to church and you said that I would understand more after we chatted. Of course I accepted! 

On Sunday morning you shared your love of baking and told me that you have been sharing bread with folks for years but that you had not yet shared bread with me. 

So, you gifted a half loaf of light wheat – half white, half wheat bread. There were also 4 cookies in this bag (I ate every one!). 

It got me to thinking about what you said about sharing bread with people. I’m facilitating 2 study groups this summer and thought what a great idea to share this story and the bread with the ladies in my groups. So, I did! I told them your story, and I cut up pieces of bread. We shared it together in communion form, all partaking together. It was beautiful and meaningful for all of us.

I couldn’t wait to share this with you, Judy, on Sunday, which I did today. 

Thank you for the gift of bread, Judy!

Many blessings, Shirlette."

Prayer: Most Gracious Heavenly Father, you shower us with so many blessings and give each of us a talent that we might share our love of Your Son with others. When we obey and do what You ask of us, we have no idea what will happen, but it is always a blessing. Thank You for watching over us and guiding us in the way we should go. It’s in Your Son, Jesus’ name, that we pray.  Amen. 

Judy Welch