Countless times when I have recited the Lord’s Prayer, I ask myself, “What does it mean to ‘give us this day our daily bread?” In our culture, we use the word “bread “as a synonym for “money”: the wage earner in our household is called “the breadwinner”. Bread remains, at least in our cultural language, a symbol of rudimentary provision for our needs.
I love bread, especially when it’s freshly baked and slathered with butter. (In fact, I may love bread a little too much!) During the pandemic our family experienced hardship as our business was decimated; it was distressing and demoralizing. One of my deep fears is not having enough; having gotten a late start in life with marriage, children, and business, there is a constant need to catch up. So when everything came to a halt during the pandemic, my greatest sin anxiety skyrocketed as I was consumed by my fear of not having enough to sustain.
During this time of heightened fear and anxiety, our Growth Group became my sounding board, my refuge, and a haven for our family. Pride and embarrassment initially made me afraid to publically expose my fears, but this was quickly transformed into trust and a willingness to share.
I never realized that being in a close relationship with other believers could foster such profound friendships. We pray, support, encourage, exhort, walk alongside one another through the good and bad of life and hold each other accountable to be in His Word, feeding on every word of the Lord for spiritual nourishment. Solomon says it well: ”Two are better than one…if either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” Genuine, real, trustworthy, reliable, and loving – our Growth Group became my intentional family, God’s family.
One day, as I was complaining about my fear of lack of means for tomorrow, I was guided by a GRC sister to pray “Lord give us this day our daily bread,” not bread for tomorrow but for today. I needed that humbling reminder and I did exactly that. The next morning, I kid you not, I received a text saying “You have a delivery on your front door.” I received a surprise delivery from a local bakery, an assortment of freshly baked bread. Our Growth Group leader and giver responded to my surprise, “There’s nothing like freshly baked bread. Enjoy Sister!” I smiled with laughter not only because I love bread, but also that our God has a sense of humor.
“Give us today our daily bread.” Our Growth Group showed me that this prayer is not for Me – but for Us. Daily request for bread is not of excess, but rather one of sustenance: give us just enough to meet our needs. The phrase is “Give US this day OUR daily bread,” not “Give ME this day MY daily bread.” Our needs are more important than my needs. It’s a prayer of gratitude for not just having enough to meet my individual daily needs, but an abundance that could be shared with others. A daily prayer that reminds me of our needs and not just my own. Thank you my sisters and brothers in our Growth Group for showing me what this prayer really means.
Today, our Growth Group is not an option in my walk with Jesus; it is a necessity in my growth. A gift of grace that I receive humbly and gratefully.
Sora Lee and her husband, Anthony, are members of GRC.