God Will Provide

June 15th, 2006

“Ma, I so so hungry-o!” the small child cried. “I sorry child, but we have nothing left to eat.” the compassionate mother empathized as she lovingly wrapped her arms around the sobbing child. In agony the woman approached her husband, “Old Man, our children be hungry and we have no money to buy food. What we do?” With calm assurance he replied, “Get the cooking pot ready, Old Ma; God will provide!”

During the 15 year civil war that raged in Liberia, most families suffered from malnutrition or slow starvation, because of the scarcity of food in that war ravished country. Following is an adaptation of a true story told by Mary Naff, a former missionary and co-laborer in Liberia, who is also a very dear friend of mine.

….So the husband lovingly embraced his wife and then set off on his walk, praying as he went that God would supply a day’s meal for his hungry family. As he turned around the corner, just past a Lebanese shop, he came upon a couple of soldiers fist-fighting. Abruptly he stopped, at fairly close range, and cautiously waited, nervously watching. Suddenly, something hit him on the forehead, causing him to back away and quickly return home!

Totally dejected because he had brought home no food for his family, he slumped down onto a wooden stool, pulled off his sweaty shirt, asking his young daughter to wash it for him. Obediently the girl carried her father’s shirt outside to launder. But soon she came running back, breathless, “Papa, where did you get the $5 that was in your shirt pocket? Can we use it for food?”

God’s supply!! The $5 had evidently been flung from one of the fighters as he tussled, hit the dad’s forehead and slipped into his shirt pocket! God did provide food that day, and I think now you can guess “the rest of the story”!