A long time ago, way back in the days when my father was a young man in his early teen years, he was sent to live with his grandfather in Bella Coola on a small little farm that was right by the Bella Coola river. The grandfathers name was Thomas Richard and his wife's name was Lydia, my dads name was Marvin. Grandfather was a religious man and talked to God all the time when he went about his chores and in his worships every moment he could. He would often be seen sitting at the table with his bible reading and praying.
They had a small little cabin that grandfather and his wife had built themselves and a small barn where they kept their favorite cow named Bessie. Every day they had to cross a small creek and over the narrow bridge that was between the barn and house to the pasture where Bessie liked to eat.
One day when grandfather crossed the bridge he went to find his cow and he called to her, and she came running to meet him. He would talk to her and rub her back and they were best friends. He would get some milk from her and then head back home.
This day on returning home and coming to the bridge he noticed there was a huge great big black bear on the bridge. Grandfather tried talking to the bear and telling him he had to get across the bridge, Would you please move bear, I need to get to the other side. This conversation went on for some time and the bear would not move. Grandfather banged his walking stick on the ground several times and the bear still would not move.
Finally Grandfather said a little prayer and walked up to the bear, put his hands on his fur, grabbing on to the skin, and used his whole body against the bear to try and get across the bridge without falling into the creek. The bear did not move. When Grandfather finally got across the bear just turned and walked away without hurting grandfather at all. That bear was not a pet!!!
Another year the crops of hay did not grow very well and there was hardly any food for the cow and even for my dad and his grandfather. (My dads grandmother had died just a little after they got to Bella Coola and so it seemed they ate a lot of porridge in those days) They had only just enough to eat for breakfast every day.
You know on a farm there is always lots of crows around and this day there was more than ever it seemed because they were making lots of racket and flying around causing a big rukus. So my dad thought he would go and help grandfather get rid of those pesky things. He went into the closet and brought out his 22 rifle and shot a few of them. He was very proud that these were gone and not too many bullets were wasted. He picked the crows up by the feet and traipsed off to show his grandfather what a catch he had.
But when he got to his grandfather there was a horrified look on his face! The poor grandfather just stood there and shook his head back and forth for a long time and finally he looked at my dad and said "Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!" "Come with me Marvin!"
They crossed the bridge, went into the barn, opened the door and went behind the door and grandfather said, "Marvin, look at this. look at what we have, now there wont be as much anymore! Look what you have done!" My poor dad felt terrible then so grandfather had to explain.
Do you remember the story of how God fed Elijah by the Brook Cherith? Well the same thing was happening to my dad and his grandfather. The crows had been gathering the wheat and storing the grain in the box behind the door. That is what they had been using for seed and for porridge. God was talking to the crows and they had been helping grandfather gather grain.
I dont know what happened after that, but this is a true story. My dad has told this story to us many times. It is a good lesson to depend on God for all the blessings like your mom and dad, your brothers and sisters, your food and clothes, everything. Give thanks to God for it all because He looks after you.
