Brown Bag Lunches

 

“Tell your mother to fix you a cheese sandwich instead of the jelly one,” said Lee, my boy friend.

I was sixteen and from the time I was in seventh grade through high school my mother always packed us a brown bag lunch.  Usually it was three halves of sandwiches; a tuna, a deviled egg and a jelly sandwich.  Then there was three cookies, or a cupcake and usually a fruit of some kind.

Lee, the boy who lived down in the next block always walked to school with me, and never brought a lunch.  His single mother and his two younger brothers fared for themselves most of the time.

I suppose he noticed my lunch bag and asked if we could meet and take a walk at lunchtime.

I would tear my sandwiches in half and share with Lee, but one day he got tired of the jelly sandwich.

When I asked my mother for a substitute cheese instead of jelly, she never said a word, but my mom was always thinking and I believe she knew I was sharing my food.

Time went by, and from circumstances beyond my control, we split up and some months later I met Robert and after I graduated from High School, we were married.

Today we still share our food.  We have more than one Free Food center in our town that feeds hungry people, so we donate non perishable foods and supplies.

Then there is the Sunday Fellowship at church.  I often take nut bread or a quick cake to add to the coffee time after church.

Jesus taught us to share with others - - and He was amazing at causing a small lunch to multiply.

But Jesus did not serve jelly sandwiches.