Cast your bread upon the waters

Photo by Ilya Shishikhin on Unsplash

“Cast your bread upon the waters, and after many days you will find it again.”

Ecclesiastes 11:1

When our children were young, they would spend weekends with their grandfather, who lived on Magnetic Island. Grandpa didn’t like to see children sitting around, not learning or discovering the world around them, so after a hearty breakfast—usually avocado on a muffin and a glass of milk—he would take them to the water’s edge and teach them how to fish.

Fishing is a patience-building pastime, and children can get bored, but not with Grandpa. While he waited for the big fish to bite, he would introduce the children to the little ones in the water by throwing bread in and watching the tiny fish nibble and dart away. They were hours of enjoyment for them all.

When I read this Scripture, it reminded me of that time. But like all of God’s words, it has deeper layers. Cast your bread—throw it far from you—so it can be shared with others in need.

When Sandor and I did our DTS many years ago, we were introduced to this concept through a very real situation. We had fundraised for our outreach and received enough for only one of us to go. Another couple had also fundraised and likewise only had enough for one of them. You can probably see where this is heading.

We were asked to pray and seek God about which one of us should go. I’ll cut the story short: it was the other couple. We gave them the rest of what they needed. It was a hard lesson, and I personally grumbled about it for quite some time. But that couple went on to touch many lives. They established a ministry—an orphanage—and eventually adopted a son from the country where they served.

You never know how many your loaves might feed. With five loaves and a few fish, Jesus fed five thousand. Be part of the miracle in someone’s life. The blessing that returns never stops flowing.