BONNELL was a very bright little fellow, about eight years old. But his father was not a Christian, and they never had a blessing asked at their meals.
“Pa,” said Bonnell one day, “Ma says that God made you. Did He, Pa?”
“Yes, He made me.”
“Well, Pa, are you glad He made you?”
“Why, Bonnell, of course I am; what strange questions you do ask!”
The little fellow was evidently thinking about something which he could not exactly make out.
Not long after this, Bonnell went on a visit to his Uncle Sam’s. Uncle Sam was an earnest Christian, and he always asked a blessing at their meals. Besides they had family prayers, and the reading of the Scriptures every day. This led Boell to think very seriously about these things, and to wonder why his father didn’t do as his uncle did.
After his return home, the first time they were all sitting around the table at breakfast, he asked, “Pa, what does Uncle Sam ask a blessing at table for?”
“I reckon it’s because he wants to.”
“He says he wants to thank God for his dinner, but I told him you worked for your dinner, and made it. God does not give it to you, does He, Pa?”
“Well, yes; I suppose He gives me mine too.”
Bonnell looked in astonishment, and then he went vigorously to work with his knife and fork. Presently he looked up again and asked, “Pa, does God want Uncle Sam to thank Him?”
“Yes, child; I suppose He does.”
Then the little fellow was silent again.
After awhile he said, “Pa, I’m mighty glad that God is not like you, for if He was we should never get anything more to eat, and then we’d starve.”
“Why, Bonnell, what do you mean?”
“I was just thinking that you would not let sister have that apple the other day because she wouldn’t say, please; and if God was that sort of way, He never would give us anhing more, because we don’t thank Him, as Uncle Sam does, and say, please.”
“Be quiet, Bonnell; you don’t know what you are talking about.” Bonnell was quiet. The rest of the meal was eaten in silence.
Bonnell’s father went to his office, to attend to the business of the day.
But he could not forget what his little boy had said. It led him to see that he was not doing right, in not thanking God for His many mercies. And to the surprise of his family, when they sat down to supper that night, he gave thanks. He thanked God for their food, and asked His blessing upon it. But the change did not end there. Bonnell's father could not rest until he had come to know the Lord as his Saviour. He became a happy Christian, and how often he must have thanked the Lord for little Bonnell’s questions and for Uncle Sam’s faithfulness.
When the Lord Jesus fed the multitude in the wilderness (Matt. 14:15-2115And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. 16But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat. 17And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. 18He said, Bring them hither to me. 19And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. 20And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. 21And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children. (Matthew 14:15‑21); Matt. 15:32-3832Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. 33And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude? 34And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes. 35And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. 36And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. 37And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. 38And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children. (Matthew 15:32‑38)), we read that He gave thanks for the loaves and fishes. If He the Creator and the Giver, when here on earth gave thanks for the food, how much more so ought we, who are dependent upon Him for all things.
ML-01/11/1970