Food for the Hungry

I have been blessed with so much. Everywhere I look I see God's blessings in my life. I have amazing parents who support me endlessly. I have fantastic friends who make me laugh and are there for me in times of trouble. I have received a wonderful education and am now working two jobs in my chosen field. I have the amazing luxury of being able to pick an outfit for the day. I have never known a day of true hunger.

I have more than enough.

I am once again reminded of the unfairness of it all. Why am I so blessed? Why was I born into such circumstances while others are born in areas of starvation and disease? I did nothing to deserve the things I have been given. Where is justice?

As I have been exploring these questions, I felt the need for drastic change. I look around me and see a culture that pursues happiness above all else - even at the expense of others. I see a culture centered around food (for entertainment, not out of necessity) and material things. And I see myself, more and more, falling prey to the pursuits of this culture. I find myself eating out of boredom, totally missing the value of food as a necessary substance for living. I find myself growing more and more passionate about those who are suffering from lack of resources...yet not knowing what to do about it.

Taking all this into account, I made a decision. A five day fast and in-depth study of poverty and global hunger. I chose The Master Cleanse method of fasting because those who have gone through it claimed that they learned to really read the difference between true hunger and boredom. They also found themselves with more healthy and self-controlled eating habits when they finished. They craved natural, organic foods instead of the old refined and artery-damaging ones (think The Daniel Fast).

I am starting the study with a podcast called Poverty: Unlocked - a Christian relief and development podcast created by Wendy McMahan and Food for the Hungry. It explores God's heart for the poor, the injustice issue, and the Christian mandate. Right now I am ending day two of my ten day journey and have already learned a lot about the causes of poverty.

I am not sure where I will end up at the end of these ten days. It may still be unclear what my specific response to this issue is but I will have gained a solid basis of knowledge for pursuing this even further as well as a renewed sense of the value of food and of self control. I ask that you would pray for me during this time as I want to be completely open to whatever God wants to place before me. I want to be focused and receptive, and I know that I need God to sustain me and draw me closer to his word and heart.

I'll post some more updates throughout the next week and a half and tell you what I'm learning about. For now, bed time.