Eyes open to the little things

We are eating WELL off of what’s in our cupboards, which speaks... doesn't it?  I am certain I have enough food to survive fairly well for a month if we had to.

I sat down the beginning of the week and came up with a plan for the next 2 weeks of meals, making sure that I use up the things that will perish first and save the frozen things, canned goods, etc. for the days to come.  Which, in and of itself...was a good exercise in frugality and resourcefulness.  I found the following website SO helpful. You can type in 1, 2 or 3 ingredients that you want to use up and there are recipes galore!                                        

http://www.bigoven.com/recipes/leftovers

God has just opened my eyes to the food He does provide and how we are so blessed with abundance. I have been challenged as well...because it's not only in the trials and temptations that we are tested, but in the  blessings.  What will we do with what we have been given?  If we receive in abundance, will we be grateful, resourceful, creative and giving?  Or will we throw it away as if it has no value, we deserve that and more, WE EARNED it anyway...it's ours to do with what we want to.  Oh my, how ungrateful we have been.  

Here are a few very little things the Lord has shown me or given me the ideas to do this week. These are from Him, I am sure.  No matter how small, I can do no good thing apart from Him.  

On day 5...


Today I made cornbread muffins from a mix that said it expired in 2009. Yup. It was in my cupboard. Yes, I did...and we ate them. And....they were fine.  
In fact, there was only one left after dinner.  

On day 6...

The lone cornbread muffin got left out over night....I was a little upset because it was hard and dry and mostly because it means someone didn't do their job (the food putter-away-er).  

I thought about that little cornbread muffin.  

Which, is good. I would not have thought twice.  

It would have been quickly tossed in the trash can.  

I remember as a child seeing my grandmother crumbling up a piece of bread and throwing it out to the birds, tossing out bits of leftover popcorn. A winter treat for them. I did the same.

I crumbled up that little muffin and took joy in tossing it out on the snowy ground wondering if it would help sustain some little chickadee.  Thank you Lord for cornbread muffins and chickadees and moments of sheer joy.

Today I packed a PB&J for myself for lunch.  At a meeting I attended there was pizza, so I decided that looked more pleasing to the eye than PB&J and ate.  I would put the sandwich in the refrigerator and pack it the next day.  Later in the day when I went to pick my children up from school, driving by an entrance to a grocery store parking lot, was a young man... (18-20 maybe) holding a cardboard sign reading, "Homeless, need work."  Now, I lived in Maryland outside Baltimore for 7 years and these signs and situations are quite common there. But, you don't see that here in this small New Hampshire town very often.  The PB&J...it was right there in my mind and I knew it was for him.  I got home, threw it, some fruit, some chips, a drink and a tract I had in my purse, wrote Jesus <3's you on the bag and brought it back to him.  He didn't seem like he spoke much English but he did say, "God bless you."  

God bless me.  Wow. Thank you, Lord.

Another time....that PB&J would have gotten thrown out without a second thought.  

Day 7...

I heard sweet birds singing this morning, which is unusual this time of year in New England and I had to smile because I think it's because of that little cornbread muffin.

Today I HAD to go the grocery store. I actually am surprised it's taken this long.  
So, I went for my 7.  

Milk

Eggs

Bread

Yogurt

Apples

Bananas

Oranges

.....and a pineapple.

It wasn't on my list....it looked good, I grabbed it and put it in my cart...I convinced myself that if I called the apples, bananas, oranges and pineapples all fruit then they would be one category and I'd be way under my 7 and feeling good. I feel bad.

There are lots of little, very little things I have been more conscious of this week, too many to mention or bore you with.  I cut a carrot, it falls to the floor...I wash it off, I use it.  I don't sweep it up later and throw it away.  I made rolls so I dusted the counter with flour.  When I was done, I brushed the flour back into my hand and put it back into the container.  I just thought...if I was in another country and flour was rare, wouldn't I do that?  I'm composting.  I usually only do that in the spring, summer and fall...who wants to walk all that way out to the compost bin in the snow?  I've re-packaged things from the kid's lunches to give them the next day and many more things.  I am being more mindful of the food we have been given.  I am trying to be a better steward.  There is so much.  I am so grateful.

At the end of week one of Food Fast

My family has been very cooperative.  We have been tracking what we are putting into our mouths.  We are learning what real portions look like and what we are supposed to be eating on a daily basis based on our activity level, age and sex.  We each have daily charts to fill out.  The kids are being so good.  I've been so pleased with their good attitudes and willingness to give this a try.  I hope to take some time this week with my family to reflect on this fast and to talk about these questions:

What have we learned so far?  

What is God showing us?

What can we do to help others with what we have learned?