Providence, Pork, and Pawpaws

Cyrus trudged along the road, praying desperately. He needed food for his family—and fast. But darkness began to steal over the stony land, and he knew that no one lived in the only nearby house. He looked up to heaven, wondering what to do next. Suddenly He glimpsed a speck of lantern light in the direction of that abandoned place—the one he had gone by several times during the past few days as he searched for work. He found faint wagon tracks leading to the light. He followed them, a glimmer of hope in his heart.
 
A family of three stood outdoors near the little log house. Cyrus stared, not knowing how to express his predicament. Finally the man greeted him in a guarded yet friendly tone. Cyrus mentioned his need for work, but the man seemed unable to help, pointing out that they had just spent all the money they had to buy the small farm. Then Cyrus explained how his wife and children hadn’t had a proper meal in three days, how he could not ask his tired horses to go another step. His voice trailed off. For a time, the other man said nothing, but finally he spoke. He said to return at daybreak with an ax, if he had one; he supposed the two of them could cut wood to sell in town.
 
The man had given him a hunk of salt pork and a tin pail of cornmeal; Cyrus fairly flew back to his family in the next hollow. To their late supper, his wife added a pile of pawpaws—wild fruit she had found that day. God had abundantly provided food and work; Cyrus gave thanks for the meal with a grateful heart.