Hungry

A few years back our family began participating in Lenten fast.  Being from a varied church background, I wasn't exposed to the idea when young.  Finding it to be a beneficial exercise, we decided to make it an annual event.  

My husband and I and the old-enough-to-understand children each pray for God's leading in how He would like us to fast.  It's always very individually appropriate to each person.  This year, tho, I've been praying for at least a month for God's leading in how He wants me to fast and not getting a conclusive answer.  All I had was parts of Isaiah 58:6-7 running through my head, "Is this not the fast I choose?  ...to divide your bread with the hungry...".  I kept thinking, but how do I do that;  we don't even know anyone hungry.  (Not because we keep such exclusive circles, but rather because we live in a prosperous nation.  We do help out the local food shelf.  But the one time I served at the soup kitchen, I was disappointed to see that the people that came were grossly overweight.  We're giving food to those who'd rather not get it for themselves while people around the world are truly starving and unable to feed their children anything but dirt!??)

Credit: Free images from acobox.com

So anyway, one morning it dawned on me that I could  "divide my bread" by halving my usual portions, suffering some hunger myself, and so relate to and pray for those hungry around the world.  What an eye-opener it's been!  I've discovered the obvious:  the hungry people around the world are ...hungry.  And an awareness of the abundance and excess I participate in each day.  What I call deprivation would be lush for many.  How sad that it's made so difficult for us to help, that governments stand between us and those to whom we would give half (or more) of our food.  So much prayer needed for these poor people.  I also pray that God would somehow take what I'm not eating and feed someone needy.  He is able.

And a funny little p.s.  Our upcoming Weaver (curriculum) unit, set to begin in about 3 weeks, is on famine and water.  God is always doing this --providing a little teacher in-service to prepare me for each unit.  Makes me smile...