I like bread. I like it a lot. Whether it's the bread that I toast in
the morning, the sandwich that I eat for lunch or in the roll that I may
have with dinner, my conclusion is the same: Bread Rules! When I was
growing as a teenager, I could sometimes eat half a loaf loaf at night
with butter and jam. I don't know how my folks afforded it, but there
was always bread in the pantry for all of us hungry Stuart kids.
In Scotland, there is something called a plain loaf which is a doughy
loaf of sliced white bread. At each end of the loaf is a thick slice
which is either called the "heel" or the "outsider". In our house,
getting the outsider was an extra helping, so we took it turns to
receive it. Whenever it was toasted, covered in butter, and put on a
plate, I felt as though I was feasting like a king. As I am writing
this, I can still experience crunching through the dark crust and
tasting the texture of the bread. As a poor kid, from a large family,
living in a deprived area, white bread was my staple diet. Eating the
thick crunchy heel was a wonderful blessing that meant a lot to me.
When the disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to pray, He instructs
them to ask God to give them their daily bread before they ask Him to
forgive their sins. He wants them to rely upon God to sustain them first
and then forgive them second. It's not that forgiveness is less
important than meeting their needs; it' just that Jesus wants them to be
grateful first and then seek God's mercy.
Sometimes I need to
remember that lesson. Frequently I feel guilty about my mistakes, so
that when I talk to God in prayer, I reel off a list of sins in order to
seek His mercy first. I forget to be grateful and thank God for His
daily goodness; instead I focus on being forgiven in order to make me
feel good. Perhaps if I changed my prayers to concentrate on thanking
God first, then I would not dwell upon how much I disappointed Him
again.
What are the daily gifts in my life for which I should be
grateful to God? Are my prayers more about me or God?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for teaching us how to pray and for drawing our
attention to the daily blessings and needs that God provides. Keep us
from being self-centered or ungrateful. In Your Holy Name, we humbly
pray. Amen.
