Food for the Soul

A third time he said, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt that he asked him a third time. Do you love me? "Lord," he said, "you know everything; you know I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep." John 21:17 (NEB)  

Tend the flock of God whose shepherds you are and do it not under compulsion; but of your own free will as God would have it; not for gain, but out of sheer devotion . . .  1 Peter 5:2 (NEB)  

In 2003, I decided that a whole loaf of homemade bread was too much for one person to eat, so I started sharing half my loaf with friends whose health or age no longer allowed them to stand in their kitchens to bake or who lived in retirement centers where they missed that "homemade" taste. Back then, I had the feeling that my visit was more important to them than the food.

As time went on, I added baking cookies and other treats to the things I delivered to these friends.   Over the past ten years, many of the names on my list have changed. As they aged, some of my friends have moved away to be nearer to family and some have gone home to be with Our Lord.

Last month, I again delivered plates of cookies. Much to my sorrow, two of the friends I have been visiting for a number of years no longer recognized me. It was so sad to see people I care for lose the everyday ordinary skill of thought processing. However, it was encouraging to see the lights in their eyes as they looked at the cookies. Their lifelong habit of good manners came forward and they thanked me.

Perhaps now the food is more important to them than the visit. At this point, I'm unsure if sharing time and treats with my friends has been food for their souls; but it has definitely been food for mine. "Tending the flock of God" as Peter admonished us to do will keep me baking and visiting even if though it makes me sad and I am no longer recognized.

Prayer: Thank You, Father, for Your Son, Jesus, who taught us about loving and serving others. Make us ever grateful for Your blessings of a strong body and a sound mind that enable us to conduct our lives using every day ordinary skills. In Jesus' holy name we pray. Amen.

Judy Welch (reprinted from February 2013)