Peanut Butter, Eggs & Something to Never Forget

The church I attend and work at is reading a book together called "7 - An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess."

So the magic number last week for my family and I was 7.
We all had a list of 7 foods we ate all week long.
Here was my list, which my husband and I created together for both of us to stick to:

1)  Beef
2)  Cheese
3)  Eggs
4)  Oatmeal
5)  Peanut Butter
6)  Coffee
7)  Green Beans

* My "freebies" were that I could use my energy gels while working out and our one condiment for the week was raw honey

Let me tell you something... I am clearly addicted to being able to get what I want when I want it when it comes to food.   I spent most of Monday and Tuesday just being frustrated;  some might even go so far as to say I was angry (please don't ask my children).  I'm training for a 1/2 Ironman and carbs have not been any further than an arms length away for about 2 months now.

Here was something I couldn't stop thinking about:

1)  How often I get to go to the grocery store.  I run out of something?  I go get it.  After all, we do have several cars, credit cards, and the luxury of a grocery store within ONE mile of every direction of where we live.

So what happens if you are a person who has no car?

• Because you are blind
• A senior citizen who cannot drive anymore 
• Just moved here from another country and do not have a license
• Cannot afford a monthly car payment/insurance/gas.......

... and so the only "store" you can get to in your neck of the woods is the mini-mart about a mile away... where they sell highly processed bread, pasta in a microwavable cup, high fructose saturated (long shelf life) snacks, crackers, nuts, cupcakes, hot dogs, pizza, peanut butter, jelly, Pop-Tarts, etc....

What happens THEN?
What would I look like?
How would I feel all the time?
    ...... and would I be judged for the way I look?

What if I live on a very strict budget that requires me to put mainly cheap, highly-process groceries into my cart?
...or how do I live if I do not have a grocery store nearby?

I have considered these things before, but it wasn't always grounded in a willingness to come alongside it for a week;  And it wasn't necessarily followed by any attempt to change my own routine, habits, abilities, or life perks that I take for granted that 75% of the world doesn't even have access to.
So I took to reflection, prayer, and admittedly, a few moments of tears for those who struggle, and I mean STRUGGLE with SO much less.  It was a little bit like my habits and my luxuries were put smack dab out in the middle of the living room and I had to keep walking on them, over them, and around them in order to feel for just one week, what it may be like to live with way less.  It wasn't easy.  I have a ton of luxuries.  And they get in the way of simplifying my life or making my life more compassionate towards another.

So my Monday to Friday week was admittedly frustrating and definitely something that forced me to look inward.  Saturday was the culmination - Saturday was "the proof is in the pudding" kind of day.
I got up and headed out the door for my training after a week of eating the above named food items.  I swam my 1.25 miles in the pool, got out, got on my bike, and BAM.  About 15 miles into my ride, which never happens, I wanted to quit.  I pulled OFF the trail with my ton of bricks body, and felt like I couldn't keep going - and I had 40 more miles in the open sun and 85 degree weather.
And that's when it dawned on me.......
A diet that consists of NO fresh fruit, NO fresh vegetables, and no change-ups, makes training for an endurance event, almost impossible.  I was exhausted not even 1/2 way in.
I finished the ride, feeling for miles and miles, that I was going to just stop, call my husband, and tell him to come pick me up.  My body LITERALLY could not do what it had done the 3 Saturdays before this.  It was heavy and not wanting to move.

So what happens to children who have no fresh fruits ... ever?
What happens to children who have no fresh vegetables.... ever?
What happens to families that eat so little or the same thing every single day? - because rice is all there is.  Because refined and highly processed junk is all there is?

Do they even have a shot?  And what is my role in that?
..... And would they be welcomed, loved, and accepted at church, the place of refuge and shalom?

Oddly enough, after my bike ride, our family went to church to have dinner with several families who were living at our church for the week because they were homeless (I purposely scheduled us for this because I knew it was the way I wanted to conclude our family's week of fasting).  They are in a program that has them living in a different church for a week at a time until they find adequate housing.  We have done this before as a family and so Jared and Leah understand that these families are enduring a difficult time in their life together and that we are called to serve, love, understand, and befriend them.

One family had 5 boys and needless to say Jared and Leah had a blast playing tag, air hockey, pool, and video games with them.  Barrett and I sat at the table asking the parents how their day went, what their job is, what their kids enjoy doing, and lots of other stuff.

And when we got home that night I had ONE question for Jared, my 9 year old son, after our week of fasting and prayerful dinnertime conversation about our food luxuries:
"Jared, while you played with those boys tonight and were having fun laughing and running around with them, were they any different to play with than your friends at school who have homes?
"No."
"Don't forget that bud.  Don't ever forget that."


Peace,
Annette