Thlomp thomp thlomp.  What is that?  Somebody pounding on the door, at this hour?  “What could it be?” Johanna whispered.  “If it wakes the kids, we’ll be up most of the night trying to them back to sleep.”

“Who is it mom?” asked oldest daughter Anna.

“You’ve got the wrong house,” I called out into the dark midnight.

 “Friend, lend me three loaves of bread.” The whispering voice of my neighbor Josh seeped into the room.   “A friend of mine has just arrived.  He’s been traveling since sunset.  He’s famished and tired and I have nothing to give him.  We got busy today and forgot to stop at the bakers.  You’ve got to help me.”

“Don’t bother me.  The door is shut and locked. We are all in bed.  I just can’t climb over the kids in the dark for what, three loaves of bread at midnight?  Good gravy go away.  Anyway, if I give you the bread, then the only who will have a full stomach tomorrow is your friend.  Neither of us will have anything until after baker opens his shop.”

“Please, I know I’m asking a lot in the middle of the night.  But tomorrow I’ll go to the baker’s as soon as he opens and buy you four loaves of bread when I get mine.”

“Okay, okay, I can see I’m not going to get any rest this way.  If I give you the bread, will you leave us alone and in peace?  And if you and your friend need to visit, do so quietly.  Here’s your loaves.”

“Thank you.  You are a real friend.  I won’t forget this.”

“Yeah, well what are friends for if not to be woke up in the middle of the night because someone forgot to stop at the bakers.”

Jesus said, “When you pray, pray like this,

Father, hallowed be your name.  Your kingdom come.  Give us each day our daily bread…

Ask- seek – knock.