From long ago
Ever since Littlest Star had its first airing, I have been in the habit of writing original stories for our Teatime Special events. Yesterday, with all the crafts orientated around Spring in general and Mother’s Day in particular, I wanted to draw on a mother’s tale from the Old Testament. With apologies to Elijah, please take and use the story below if it can be of any help at all to you:
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“Shut your eyes mum” Joe whispered, “its mother’s day”. Joe’s mom knew just what to do, and she shut her eyes and put her hands out in front of her. Just like he had done every mother’s day for as long as they could remember, Joe dusted a little bit of flour on one hand, and dripped a teeny weeny drop of olive oil on the other. Now in case that seems a really strange thing to do, let me tell you the story all about how it began.
Many years ago, Joe and his mom lived in a little house on the far edge of a village in the desert. Joe’s dad had gone a long time ago, and the two of them had managed fine ever since. Or, at least – they had managed fine until the rain…stopped. When that happened the crops started to die, and pretty soon Joe’s mom had nothing to sell.
For the first few weeks they managed by eating all the things they had in the cupboards. Gradually, though, the cupboards got emptier…and emptier…and emptier. Two bags of flour became 1 bag of flour. One bag of flour became half a bag of flour – and their jar of oil was nearly at the bottom too.
The day came when Joe’s mom had just enough flour and just enough oil to make a few flat loaves to cook on the stones round the fire. After that, there would be nothing. She was just stoking the fire up before mixing up her flour when the stranger came.
‘Excuse me’ he said, ‘could you spare a little food and a little water for God’s friend Elijah’? ‘Sir’, said Joe’s mom ‘I will gladly give you water – but I have only enough food left for one last meal for me and my boy’.
Joe was listening secretly by now, and he saw the man smile as he said kindly ‘do this for me – and God will make sure you don’t go hungry. The flour bag will stay full and the oil jar will stay topped up until the day when the rain falls and the crops grow again’.
Joe couldn’t decide whether to watch the stranger or his mom – but in the end the food smelt so good as it cooked that he had to sit by the fire and watch. The loaves were the best he had ever ever tasted, and after that something amazing happened.
Long after the man of God had gone – the bag of flour went on for weeks and weeks and weeks. Every time they tipped some oil out of the jar – by the next time they went to look it had filled right back up again. Just like the man said – God never let them go hungry.
And that is why every mother’s day Joe puts a little bit of flour on one hand and a little drop of oil on the other. Like most boys – he reckons his mom is the best…but they both remember the day that God did his best for both of them.