Have you ever eaten so much that you are completely full? Silly question really. You probably only have to think of the last meal you ate, the last party you attended or even Christmas; a time when every Scot loosens their belt to fit in another slice of turkey or mince pie. After a good rest and a snooze your tummy settles and you feel comfortable again. You can move without feeling pain- infact some of you fatties may even go back for a second helping. We are hungry so we eat. Yet our bodies are only temporarily satisfied before we have to eat again.
You may be wondering why I am going on so much about food, especially as I am in a country where many people have very little, or in most cases nothing, to eat. We may even refer to them as being “deprived”.
Yes in the literal sense this may be correct: they beg, borrow, steal and pray for their next meal and so yes people here in Uganda are hungry. They cannot simply open the fridge or go to the nearest Tesco to stock up. Yet since I arrived here in Dwelling Places I have felt permanently full.
You see they make sure that I am fed well. They make sure that every morning I pray and every day we read God’s word. They know what it is to be hungry. What’s more they know what it is to be starving yet they never complain of feeling empty.
You know the feeling I’m referring to. The empty feeling you get sometimes deep, deep down inside you. You can’t really explain it and if the truth be known you wouldn’t want to admit you even get it. It’s not in your tummy; it’s deeper than that, somewhere inside. Think back to the last time you felt like that. Was it something somebody said to you? Or maybe it’s something they didn’t say!? Maybe you’re feeling empty right now. Something aches deep inside in a place no person can touch and no amount of chocolate cake can begin to satisfy (trust me I’ve tried). The reason the children, volunteers and staff here at DP (Dwelling Places) never feel hungry is because they literally do stuff their faces with God’s word. It is their daily bread and without it they would starve.
Food provides us with the nutrients we need to survive. What we put into our bodies determines how we grow physically in the same way that what we fill our minds with determines how we grow spiritually.
Everyday I am told, “You need to learn to eat like an African woman.” Seriously I am trying but they can eat but I’ve worked out their secret. Initially I struggled to understand how the women here can survive on a diet of Posho, Matooke and beans (and lots of it) yet stay so thin. For those of you who don’t know posho is like potato- and all the women in the west say “no carbs!” They stay thin because they dance so much in church! Although I am not yet persuaded that this food is actually, “good for you” I am utterly convinced that their daily diet of reading God’s word is totally fulfilling. I just wish it would catch on as fast as the Atkins diet or Dr Gillian’s You Are What you Eat. I wonder if she had a word from God when she came up with that title!
I am completely blessed and still overwhelmed by the amount of support that Lorna and I received before we left, and are continuing to receive now that we are here. So many people said how they “admired” what we were doing and I was asked frequently, “doesn’t it break your heart seeing all of those hungry children who have been abandoned.” The answer is yes but no more so than watching our family and friends starving at home. We are in a country where people are hungry, malnourished and dissatisfied…but so are you. Your neighbour, your friend, your father/mother, your children. If their bellies were empty wouldn’t you want to give them something to eat? If they came to your home wouldn’t you prepare a meal for them? Yet why do we neglect their souls? Wow Erica, slow down...you’ve hit a nerve there. You’ve made me uncomfortable. Well just keep reading this is a feast not to be missed.
Being Greedy with the word:
It’s like having the most delicious M&S (Marks and Spencer) banana and raspberry muffin and keeping it all to yourself even when you know the person sitting next to you would like a piece. Come on that’s just greedy! If something is really good you naturally want to share it with the person or people you love. That’s why they make family packs of these good cakes!
Maybe you’re too embarrassed. Maybe you don’t think they’re hungry- don’t be daft of course they are. Stop making excuses. You see we all suffer from these hunger pains. God made you with a desire, a will to serve him, to love him and to want to feast on him. Until you come to his table you will always be hungry.
But what if they really aren’t hungry for God…right now? Yes I know this feeling too. It’s actually, dare I admit it, quite a nice feeling. To be oblivious to any responsibility God might want to place on you shoulders; to be having so much fun in the world that you don’t plan ahead for the fun God has in store for you for eternity. There are people, you know them, who are so busy eating rubbish. They are full up and even something scrumptious doesn’t seem to temp them. There are two things to consider here: the devil and ourselves. Firstly the devil. No, this is not a fictional character or something out of the Lion King or Jungle Book, get real. Don’t pretend you’ve never come across him. Maybe you just haven’t recognised him but he is everywhere and he hates it when you feast on God. When you get your strength from God you no longer serve the world or the devil. He fills the world with things that are appetising: things that look and taste good. Shopping, sex, work, promotions, relationships and yes even food …the list goes on. Don’t get me wrong I am not saying some, or all, of these things are not good in the right context or in moderation but lets go back to the fridge to get them into perspective.
You open the door slowing releasing the rubber seal around the edges. The cool air escapes and the little light pings on. Your eyes furiously scan the contents. Mum’s just done the “weekly” shop and it’s bulging with your favourites. Dad is still unloading the car of French baguettes, still hot from the bakery and you’ve already opened the crisps before they’ve had a chance to see a cupboard. You close the fridge door. Five, six (or in my house two) days later you go back and it’s almost empty. All the best things are gone and what’s left is starting to go off. You’re dissatisfied.
It’s the same with life and it’s quite obvious why: these things are of the world. They are not permanent and so they disappoint you, just as friends do, colleagues do, your children do.
The second thing to consider here is ourselves. How delicious do our lives look? Do you live your life in such a way that people want to have some of what you’ve got? Mr Tesco and Mrs M&S are very cunning about the way they package their foods, about how good it looks to the consumer and more importantly how it tastes. I reckon God invented consumerism. You see he made a product every single person would want: Jesus. And he chose you as his sales person. He gave you the job. But are you doing it? Are you getting up every morning ready for work or some days do you just call in sick? Are you making your product available to your friends and family or do you hide it at the back of the shelf? God never intended you to be in the shelf. He designed you perfectly and wonderfully. He gave you talents and he will show you how to use them.
So how does this relate to food you wonder? Well your relationship with God is a process. It is like cooking (not that I can cook but hey). Here’s the recipe I want you to try and make:
Recipe number 1:
1. You open the fridge- good
2. Take out the egg- well done
3. Crack it into a bowl
4. Whisk it. Heat it on the ring. Add veg and cheese
5. Result: It’s an omelette.
It’s the same with the word
Recipe number 2:
1. Open it- good
2. Read it- well done
3. Meditate on it (let it cook)
4. Result- understanding. You now have something so delicious that I assure you others will want a slice of.
Here in Uganda the children are so, so, so generous with God’s word because they know it is the only bread that can truely satisfy them. These children have taught me that I can stuff my face with God’s word. So mum don’t worry I am never hungry and what’s more I have never been healthier!
Lots of love and then some Erica x
No comments:
Post a Comment