#5: A Year's Supply of Daily Bread?

For my first few days in the mission field, I remember getting to the end of each day feeling like I had used up everything I had to make it through the day. I thought to myself: if I used up everything I had to get through today...what's left for tomorrow? A sense of panic would start to well up inside me. What was I going to do? Eighteen months was starting to look like a long time if I had already exhausted my supply of energy and courage.

Then during personal study one morning, this talk in the Ensign caught my eye. I was looking for a different subject to study but I felt the need to read a talk called Recognizing God's Hand in Our Daily Blessings. (You can check it out here.) The first line I saw was:

"Give us this day our daily bread"

We've all heard this prayer. "Give us this day our daily bread." What did this have to do with me? I don't need bread, I need energy and courage--18 months worth. I kept reading though as Elder Christofferson talked about how we all have daily needs. Sometimes we pray for "daily bread" in a literal sense but many times we are asking Heavenly Father for figurative bread. Our daily bread could be spiritual or physical strength to get through a particular challenge or help with a specific task or activity. For me the, it was the energy to get through each day's activities and the courage to fufill my assignment as a representative of Jesus Christ. Elder Christofferson mentions that we sometimes wish for our weekly, monthly, or yearly bread. I was asking for an 18 month supply of daily bread. Elder Christofferson suggests that we focus on our daily bread. Just like when the Lord gave the Israelites manna in the wilderness, He will provide us with just enough daily bread for one day at a time. Elder Christofferson says that "By providing daily sustenance one day at a time, Jehovah...was teaching them to trust Him. In essence, the children of Israel had to walk with Him each day and trust that He would grant a sufficient amount of food for the next day on the next day and so on." It was a trust-building exercise for the children of Israel.

Could it be possible that He's doing the same thing with me? I've been getting through each day just fine...why did I think I needed more than a day's worth of "bread"? (What would I even do with that much bread?) I have been blessed each day with just what I need and I am so glad I was prompted to read this article. The fear and panic I felt is long gone now because I was reminded that Heavenly Father will give me what I need when I need it. And He will do the same for you.

Elder Christofferson also counsels us to "Thank your Heavenly Father for the manna He has placed along your path that sustained you through the day. Your reflections will increase your faith in Him as you see His hand helping you to endure some things and to change others. You will be able to rejoice in one more day, one more step towards eternal life." Let's remember to take it one day at a time--that's all He's asked us to do!