From "My Life Story"

By Samuel Doctorian

 

I did not come from a rich home but from a poor one. My parents were just orphan children. The only thing they were able to do was to try to supply us with our daily bread and help us so that we might be able to go through school and get a bit of education. That was a hard task. My father worked far away from Jerusalem and once a month he would be able to visit our home. Every time he came he would have only about four Palestinian pounds, equal to about twelve dollars in those days. He would give some to the grocer, some to the baker, and some here and there, and then go back to work again. That is all we were able to see our father, just once a month.

One day as we four hungry boys came home from school, we came to our mother and asked for a piece of bread, but mother was not able to give us any bread. She asked us to go and play. We continued playing until night came. About 7:00 o'clock we came back again, wondering why mother was sad. We said, "Mother, we are hungry." She would not say anything to us. She washed our hands, feet and faces, and then said, "Come on, children, come and go to bed now. Pray your prayers and go to sleep."

But we said, "Mother, we want bread. We are hungry. What is the matter with you?"

She would not answer us but made us all kneel and pray, and then said, "Goodnight, children." She lowered the gas light so that we might go to sleep.

The four of us began to weep, each looking to the others with tears rolling down his cheeks. We were hungry and we wanted bread. Mother would not give us bread. Why was mother so cruel? Had we done anything wrong that she would not give us bread? With tears in our eyes we finally went to sleep.

At 2: 00 o'clock in the morning I awoke, crying, "Mother, mother."

She came close to me and said, "What do you want, Samuel?"

I said, "Mother, I cannot sleep. I want bread."

I could notice, although the gas light was low, bright tears rolling down her cheeks. She went away and brought me a cup of water and said, "Samuel, drink water."

I said, "Mother, it is not water I want. It is bread I want."

When I noticed her weeping I stopped my tears, wondering what was the matter. I drank the water and went to sleep again.

When morning came we all got up hungry and with tears still in our eyes. We did not know what to do, and mother did not dare tell anybody that we needed bread.

Then she broke into tears and said, "Children, pray. We do not have bread at home. We do not know what to do. We do not know when our father will come back, and we do not have bread."

We said, "What are we going to do? We cannot go to school if you do not give us bread."

She said, "Come, let us pray to the Father in Heaven."

We sat around the table. All five of us began to weep and cry for bread. We said, "Father, send us bread. Father, send us bread."

While we were praying -- thank God for His miraculous hand – there was a knock at the door.

The moment the knock came my mother said, "Keep quiet, children. Do not make any noise. Do not let anyone know what we are praying and what our need is. Let only God know about this."

She wiped her tears and went to the door. When she opened it a man came in. He was a dear believer with a basket in his hand full of bread and cheese.

When we saw the basket, he turned to us and said, "Children, take.

This is bread. Your Father sent it."

We all ran to that basket. I took a loaf in my hand, cut it, and began to eat it as a hungry child. I was so glad that father had sent us bread.

Only after some years had passed did I find that it was not my father. I went to that believer and said, "My. dear brother, I want you to tell me what made you come to our home and give us that bread?"

He said, "Samuel, I bought all those things to take to Bethlehem to my family. I got my ticket and sat waiting for the bus to move. A Voice within me said, 'Rise. Take all that you have bought to the family down in the Valley of Kidron and give it to them.' I said, 'No, it is late. I must get home and give this to my family and come back to my business.' But the Voice continued, saying, 'Rise. Take it to that family.' I said, 'But they do not need this bread.' But the Voice within me kept saying, 'You rise and go. They need this bread.'"

He continued, "I could not disobey that Voice. I got up and left the bus, not caring about the ticket I had purchased. I walked down to the Valley of Kidron and before knocking I put my ears to the door and could hear hungry children crying and praying, 'Father, send us bread.' The moment I heard that I could wait no longer. I knocked at the door and when it was opened I said, 'Your Father sent this bread. Take it.' I gave everything I had."

While he was telling me that story I was rejoicing. How wonderful is the God in whom we believe. He is the God of Elijah, supplying our every need today. He is a great God! I praise the Lord that I believe in such a supreme Being who is "able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us." "My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

 

From: TICKET STORIES COMPILED BY DUANE V. MAXEY FROM THE HDM LIBRARY

 

 

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