STARVIN’ TO DEATH
October 9, 2015 by dianegates
I wheeled my grocery cart through Friday morning’s Central Market shoppers with the precision of Mario Andretti.
My list was short as was my allotted time for shopping. I glanced at my watch—12 o’clock. I’d had no lunch and it would take at least thirty minutes to make it home after I’d checked out. As usual, where had the morning gone?
After the release of my first book in late August and all the promotion involved, I’ve felt like that furry, four-legged creature on its perpetual hav-a-trail—always running, but never catching up.
Rounding the back corner of the store, from dairy into specialty breads, the sample table invited me taste and see. Two ladies stood in front of me. One grabbed a sample and moved on, the other stood and munched. A quick glance told me it must’ve been more than a sample. She was pregnant and there were crumbs on her cheeks. I remembered those days of soon-to-be so many years ago.
The cranberry breakfast bread was so delicious I felt compelled to taste the apple nut breakfast bread. The young woman pressed closer, urging me to move. I did—to the backside of the table—deciding if I wanted to purchase a loaf.
She moved close to the lidded container of apple nut bread with a large napkin in her hand. She removed the lid and rammed her hand inside. She pulled out a huge handful and promptly shoved the entire fistful in her mouth and gulped it down like she hadn’t eaten a morsel in a month of Sundays.
With the back of her hand she wiped her mouth, then turned and fled.
My brain froze. The reality of what just transpired ricocheted from my head to my heart and back again.
What to do? Give her money? My jumbled thoughts slowed my reaction, but she vanished. And I was left with the knowledge this woman was so hungry her hands shook as she gobbled every morsel. And I missed an opportunity to…to do what? Buy her lunch? Press money into her palm? Let her know Jesus cared? ‘Cause I sure couldn’t have cared or I would have known what to do and done it. But the opportunity, like the young woman, was gone forever.
I’ve prayed for this young woman and the baby she carries all week. After reading Julie Cosgrove’s soon to be released novel, Freed to Forgive, I’ve wondered if she were trapped in human trafficking. And I’ve prayed for myself. So preoccupied with petty things I failed to give account for the faith within me.
And Satan has attacked me with a vengeance. I’ve never been slack in the reaction department. Why now? Testy with my husband, and by the end of Sunday’s sermon, my mind had strung a clothesline full of doubts about my own salvation.
2 Peter tells us about his experience with James and John on the Mount of Transfiguration. That scene and the words he heard were so engraved on his heart there was no room for doubt. Ever again. No doubt when he chose to be crucified upside down.
A light flashed in my mind like a flood light in the shadows of my troubled heart. And God brought to my remembrance an afternoon a few years back when He gave my husband and me a glimpse into something other than this world and my heart leaped for joy. (My blog post entitled Mystery—Unexplained—Awesome, tells about this event.)
I’ve been in a dark place this past weekend, but Peter said that’s okay: “…you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19 NAS).
These are dark times, precious friends, and it’s going to get really black before Jesus comes. It’s time to access and be sure we are following our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are surrounded by starvin’ people. Starvin’ from physical hunger, but also a deeper, eternal tragedy—deceived and spiritually starved people. People ignorant of the Truth of God’s Word. Starvin’ to death while we, dear friends are fiddlin’ with foolish distractions and wealth that will be burned up when Jesus comes.
Peter tells us in light of our salvation and knowledge of God’s Word: “…be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things–” What things? He wrote we are to be diligent in our faith—we are to supply virtue, then knowledge, and self-control. Then perseverance and godliness and brotherly kindness and finally love.
2 Peter 1:5-11 says if you do these things, “… you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.”
Did I mess up in Central Market Friday? Yes.
Does that mean Jesus threw me on the trash heap. No. I messed up.
But I have repented and confessed and Jesus picked me up, reminded me who I am in Him, and is correcting my focus. And you can bet next time I’ll be prepared.
How about you? Have you failed to see the starving folks around you each day? In this time of bounty it’s so easy to look away from things that trouble you and focus on what we have.
Are you like me, so consumed with the screams of the urgent you freeze when important things appear? Maybe you too need a paste-your-eyelids-open moment to access your goals. A moment to see if your attitudes, actions, and reactions please God.
And if not, perhaps it’s time to re calibrate the engine of your heart so you can run with endurance the race God sets before you each day. (Hebrews 12:1-4 NAS).
Posted in A Nation Divided | 11 Comments
thanks for the plug…don;t let the devil steal your joy. You can still pray for that young woman- in fact that’ s the best you can do. God put her there to teach you a lesson which you have now shared with others, so ti will benefit many. Well done, good and faithful servant.
LikeLike
I don’t think you messed up. You prayed for her, and at that time, that is probably all God wanted you to do. Luke 12:12
LikeLike
Thanks for your comments, Julie and Ernie. But, we’ll never know if that’s all God wanted me to do, will we? Somehow I can’t imagine either Paul or Peter missing such an opportunity. Would that my sharing what happened a week ago today will make each one of us more cognizant of the opportunities we miss and fix that missing link.
LikeLike
Sometimes we recognize that we missed an opportunity and we pray not to miss the next one. And then we’re ready when that next one comes. I believe God uses the missed opportunity to alert us for the next. And I know you will be ready next time.
LikeLike
I’ll be aware and ready, Kay, because He’s opened my eyes to see people and things I’d avoided before. He’s used this lady and the truths we’re studying in 2 Peter to jar the rut I’ve carved for my daily routine.
LikeLike
In our ever busy, overstuffed lives, we miss many opportunities to act. Mainly because we don’t react. You have tickled my recent memory.
Just like flying with my husband to Branson, MO a few weeks ago. Between me and the window of the plane sat a young woman. I had a novel I was well into and thought the flight afforded me an uninterrupted few hours to read. After about half an hour, I decided I might be missing something more important.
Closing the book, I began to engage the mother of six in conversation. How blessed I was. We shared sweet fellowship, and she did something unexpected before we grabbed our things and parted. She placed a folded $20 bill in my hand and said, “The Lord bless your time with your husband in Branson. Didn’t she need this more for her children? I started to protest, but let God edify us both in the giving and receiving. Thanks for refreshing the memory.
LikeLike
As we refresh others, He refreshes us! God bless you, Judy Johnson, as you tirelessly serve the Kingdom! ❤
LikeLike
It’s so true that despair and hopelessness are all around us. It saddens me immensely to think about that young, pregnant woman, as well as so many others just like her. But God is powerful, and certainly heard your prayers. Thank you for the touching reminder to be more present and aware in my daily life!
LikeLike
And Emily, essentially that’s why I wrote the post and used the pictures I did. We live in a time of untold monetary wealth in this country, with abundant access to food…but there are those around us who are soooo poor. Bill O’Reilley said this week he didn’t believe children went to bed hungry in America. But you and I know they do. And that breaks my heart…especially since I came face to face with unspeakable hunger in that store last Friday.
LikeLike
Thank you for a powerful reminder that we need to be more aware of those around us and the needs they have. They are so many hungry and hurting people all around us.
LikeLike
Ann, thank you for reading and commenting on this blog. So many demands on our time, so many distractions, so many urgent needs we fail to see important things. Things God places right in front of us. Hope you become a regular reader and commenter!
LikeLike