“Another boring day”, he thinks to himself, trying his best to smile as he walks into the kitchen. He turns to his mother. With a sheepish voice he whispers, “Good morning Ma.” Mother turns to look at her little boy and wishes him back with the most joyful face that she can put on. “Good morning little one”, she says, “all set for school?”. He shrugs his shoulders. She can see how tired he is, how he’s bored of the same routine again and again. She can see he feels useless, she can see he wants to be something more, wants to do something more.
“Hey come on”, she tells him, “today is going to be a great day”. He is hardly convinced.“Yeah right! You say that everyday Ma, but it’s always the same. I feel so inadequate. I want to do my part in this life and I just know this isn’t it. I want to be a miracle to someone. I want to make a difference.”
She kneels down and holds his hands. Smiling, she says, “Someday, you will my son”
“How Ma? How do you know? We’re so poor. We have nothing. And I have nothing special in me. God can’t use me. I’ve got nothing”, he says.
She can see the disappointment in his eyes. The boy had always been hard working, caring and had an earnestness to do great. He would always strive to do his best, no matter the task. He just didn’t have the means, the resources to ‘make it big’. Deep down, she felt sorry for him, for their poverty. But she firmly believed that he would still make a difference, that he had a big part to play in the story the Author of life had written.
She tries to console him. “One day”, she whispers, hugging him, “you will be given the opportunity to serve,to change the world. One day, you will touch the lives of millions. I believe that, I really do.” He smiles, trying to believe her.
“And on that day”, she continues, “you must give it your all, your best, just as you’ve been doing all your life. You must not hold anything back. But until that day, you must wait, you must be patient. And today – oh my son – today is going to be a great day.”
He looks back into her eyes. He can see her love in them. With a big smile he hugs her.
“Thank you Ma, I love you”, he screams, as he rushes to the door.
She stops him just before he can run. “Wait, don’t forget your lunch”, she says.
“What’s for lunch?” he asks, his mouth beginning to water.
She hands him his little lunch bag and grins –
“Five loaves of bread and two fish.”
