Food, and Food for Thought

I like grocery shopping. There's something anticipatory about walking up and down the aisles, choosing the ingredients that will come together to make a meal. I especially like the produce section, with its colors, shapes, and smells. I'm always amazed at what God thought of to grow up from the ground!

On Saturday, I had the  chance to go on a short shopping trip by myself. That's what I said, by myself, meaning, without the kids! That's when grocery shopping is really fun! I can take the time to think through the week, to decide to try something new, or buy something to surprise the children (which, yesterday turned out to be bagels, not donuts, but the kids were still excited).

And as I was putting my groceries in my car, I noticed the little car beside me. It was a new, compact model, painted an eye-catching light lime green. In the driver's seat was a young lady and her dog. 

It may have been that, without my children, I was more aware and thoughtful than usual. Or it may have been that I'm in the middle of reading Radical, by David Platt. But whatever it was, instead of turning my attention back to my groceries and driving away, I studied the young lady. She was well-coifed in a suburban-hip kind of way, with a nose ring and flattering make-up, but she did not look very happy, despite being in her new, green car. Or despite the fact that she was sitting outside a giant grocery store, full of a variety of fresh and healthy foods, coffee made to your liking, and clean water in a bottle or straight from a faucet! This young lady, like myself, did not have to think about survival. Our daily decisions revolved more around questions like "Hmmm... which of these five varieties of apples do I want? And should I get a scone with my coffee today?"

The Compassion International magazine I received recently put it all into perspective. Amongst the articles about children receiving heart surgeries and orphans given a chance to survive, there was an article titled Stuff, An American Phenomenon. In it, Mike Hanlon writes, 

According to the Self-Storage Association's website, there are more than 58,000 

storage facilities around the world. And 80 percent of those are here in the United States... 
That's pretty interesting, considering just how large our homes have become... 

apparently that's not enough room for our stuff. Our stuff spills out of our homes, 

into our garages and, when that's not enough, into a storage unit.

We have it good here. We may have heart issues to work through (but then again, who doesn't?) but as far as health goes, most of us don't have to worry about much. Children and families around the world are hungry, cold, and physically hurt, and fall asleep to the sound of bombs and guns. Hanlon goes on to say, "The truth is, most storage units are nicer than the homes [these] kids live in."

As I drove away from the store, I saw another woman, looking very different from the young lady in the car. This woman was middle-aged, dressed in a grungy coat, sitting by the side of the road. She had stationed herself next to the traffic light, hoping that those who stopped at a red light would pity her enough to give her some money or food. Usually, I wouldn't mind giving a homeless person an apple or something easy to eat, but yesterday, I didn't have anything on hand. I hesitated to give her money, but this thought crossed my mind: Most likely, this woman is someone's mother. Would I want to see my mother hungry and cold on the side of the road, when I have so much to spare?

You know what I did next. And then I drove home, having gotten more than just food on my shopping trip that day.