Day 7, the final day of the food challenge, has arrived.
After a week of just eating what we have in the house already, there is hardly a dent in the pantry or the freezer. Going into this, I knew we had enough food for a week. I just didn't expect to have THIS MUCH left over.
So, kids, I've decided to keep the food challenge going, with just a little modification. I'm going to need produce, milk, eggs, and bread at some point. When I need them, I will get them. Otherwise, it's carry on Jeeves until I can see the back of my pantry.
Here are some random take-aways for the week:
1. I have spent ZERO time and money at the grocery store. In a busy week, this was an unexpected blessing. Purposefully taking a break from the grocery store is something we can keep doing periodically. It's sustainable. It works. It even makes my life easier, creates breathing room. Who knew.
2. I ate less sugar because of that sugar freak-out thing that happened the first day out. The sugar jar still has a cup or so in it, AND I still have the half bag of sugar my friend gave me. Plus I found another half bag in the corner of the pantry. At this rate, I should be good for a month or so.
3. I have been more grateful. More mindful that every good and perfect gift of food comes from God. It's been good to concentrate on what I have, instead of acting like I'm all deprived. It's just not true. If I'm thinking that, I have seriously lost touch with reality.
4. It's been challenging to think about how to live in love with an abundance of food, when others don't have enough. If I really love, what exactly am I supposed to do? Me personally? I'm still processing that.
But here's where I'm at today: gleaning. Gleaning is the Old Testament idea that during the harvest, the owner of a field would leave some grain behind in the field for the needy to gather.
Harvest is a time of joy and celebration in every culture. A time when hard work and patience are rewarded. When abundance is clear, and generosity is natural.
In our culture, we just harvest all the time. The stores never close.
The joy and celebration are easily lost. And so is our sense that we are privileged to share out of our abundance.
Clearly, clearly, clearly: I have way more food than is necessary to sustain my life. There is no need to hoard and worry about tomorrow, oh me of little faith. Because God clothes the flowers of the field and feeds the birds of the air, and He will so muchmuchmuchmuchmuch more care for me, and for others.
5. When I've tried to get super self-deprecating this week ("Woe is me! I have too much! I am so bad!") I keep hearing Monty Python's cartoon God in my head: "Oh stop groveling!"
My abundance is not a cause for guilt, shame, and self-flagellation. Because all that stuff is just about me-me-me.
Conviction, I can get on board with. Because I always need to change and grow, and I need God to help me do it.
Gratitude, definitely. Because gratitude is about thanking God for all his blessings.
Generosity, absolutely. Because generosity is about letting the blessings of God flow out of my life and into the lives of others.
*****
And now, I'm going to take a little break from writing for a few days. I'll be back on June 11, but meanwhile I've got a wedding to style, a bridal shower to host, and two boys to drop at DFW for their summer travel destinations.
The next challenge? Taking a break from stress.
Ha. Double ha.
Don't forget you can visit The Poorganic Life to see what other bloggers are up to with this whole 7 thing.
And, there's a facebook group too. Somebody's over there talking about putting lipstick on a squirrel. Gotta go see what that's all about.