Daily Bread

In medical school I was assigned to round each day on a 90 year old lady with throat cancer. As a student you don’t have near as many responsibilities as the interns or residents. You have much more time to practice the human side of medicine. When I first met her she asked “Am I going to die”?  I didn’t know what to say. I knew she was dying, but I didn’t know if I was allowed to tell her. I figured it was obvious to her too. I asked her why she was afraid. She couldn’t eat. She said didn’t want to starve. She wanted daily bread.

I sat in bed last night thinking.  Usually I reserve thinking for the day and turn on the TV at night.  Thinking last night was therapeutic. Thoughts have been flooding my mind for the last week about lots of different things. I worry about my friends and family who are out of work for the foreseeable future. I worry about my patients whose lungs are fighting off infection.  I worry about insignificant things like canceled trips, my retirement account, and closed golf courses. I thought about the loaves of bread Kelsey made yesterday for some friends. As I sat thinking the Lord’s Prayer came to mind.  Give us this day our daily bread…

The Lord’s Prayer

I couldn’t remember it word for word so I read it in the Bible (Matt 6:9-13)

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Thy Kingdom Come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Daily Bread

Rarely do we need physical bread, but most of us need daily bread. I told Kelsey the other day that my stress level was creeping up. I worry about protecting myself at work. I worry about bringing home illness to my family. I worry about patients who I may not be able to save. My daily bread for the past few days has been filled by a sister in law who sent me a box of n95 masks and a neighbor who found a box in their garage to give to me. One friend sewed several masks for me just in case I run out. My mom dropped off a platter of fresh cut fruit at our house that was more than manna to the soul. My daily bread basket once again seems to be overflowing.

Baking Daily Bread

The challenges people are facing right now of illness, death, finances, and loss of freedom definitely weigh heavy. My problems pale in comparison to others in the world. I have found that each day as I seek it Heavenly Father will give me daily bread to make it through that day. Rarely are all of my answers solved overnight. I am given a little strength to keep on going. There is some bread that only God can give us and some peace and comfort that only he can supply. Many times he supplies it through the kind words and acts of others.

Maybe instead of searching for daily bread I would be better off baking daily bread for others. Maybe I can take extra time to listen to my patients. Maybe I can play another round of Candy Land with my boys. I would love someday to be known as a baker rather than a taker of daily bread.

This video I watched many years ago came to mind.

I hope you all can find your daily bread to get you through. Maybe you will be the daily bread that someone else needs.

About the Author

I am a husband, father, ER doctor, and an avid golfer.  With a handicap of 2.8 I have a fairly legitimate claim to be among the Top 100 Physician Golfers in the United States.  You can read more about my story on my about page. Feel free to contact me or follow my sites on social media.