Mommies and Food Insecurity

Some mornings God brings you to your knees.

This morning I could barely stand and I almost dropped to my knees in the kitchen, drawn there by the hand of God.  As I sit and reflect I should have given into the pull.  My kids would have understood, they are used to me and God having our moments together. 

I was making peanut butter sandwiches for breakfast and lunch.  The boys and I were talking about our Hope Chest this month and our family newsletter.  This month we are collecting donations of bottled water and sunscreen for homeless and precariously housed children.  We were discussing the need for these boys and girls to have sunscreen and bottled water as school is ending and they will be outside all day and it is going to be so hot. 

My older son - 9yrs - said "but Mommy they really need food, why aren't we doing food?".  And we discussed how in June the kids will still be in school a bit and getting breakfast and lunch at school but he was right in July they would be really hungry so our June newsletter we will start collecting food and in July we will collect school supplies to give to them in August for when school starts back up.

All of a sudden I looked down and realized that my little family goes through a half of loaf of bread just for breakfast and lunch in one day.  I was stunned.  I was spreading the peanut butter and I physically doubled over as all of a sudden all the Mommies who were getting their kids up for school and had no bread or peanut butter in their pantry came rushing into my heart.

In our county 1 in every 6 kids is food insecure.  That means in every classroom there are 4-5 kids who do not know where their next meal is coming from.  We live in the 1st-2nd richest county in the US according to Forbes magazine.  In just 10 minutes I  can be in another county and those numbers can double, go further south and/or west and into another state and those numbers can triple and quadruple.

I walked to the fridge and got out the ham, turkey and the cheese and worked on more lunches and the images were rolling through my soul of all the Mommies who could not make lunches for their kids with choices.  I can call out, "did you want ham or turkey today?  pretzels or fritos?  apple or pear?  which dessert did you want?  water, milk or apple juice?"  There are Mommies I know who can only afford to scramble one egg a morning - made with water not milk - for all 3 of their children to share.  I know mommies who have to measure out cereal in the morning because they can't afford for the kids to pour it themselves or they might not have enough to make it through the week.

The boys and I talked about opening our pantry and finding NO food and my little one said - "well I would just go to the fridge" and I said, "but then you open the fridge and nothing is in there".  They both looked at me with wide eyes and said "What?  No food?".  Tears formed in my eyes as I responded "Yes - no food".  My older son then shared a story about sleeping over at a friends house and coming home and not having eaten anything for 5 hours and how much it made his stomach hurt and how horrible that was.  I asked them, "what do you think it would feel like to not eat all day?"  They said "very sad" and then I said, "and imagine if you didn't know if you woke up in the morning if you would have any food either."

How broken is my heart this morning for all the Mommies who face this very real life everyday?  It isn't an imagination game for them, it isn't a teachable moment for their children on compassion and sharing blessings.  It is real.  Their kids are hungry, starving - physically.  Which can lead to mental, emotional and spiritual starvation; eternal effects.  What does a Mommy do?  How does she feel when she looks upon her babies and she can't supply their need and their big eyes look up at her haunted and needing?

I hope she can fall to her knees and look upon God for her strength.  I pray to God to embrace my Mommy Sisters, hold them tight and whisper in their soul, "You my Beloved, stay strong and I will provide for your babies just as I provide for the birds of the air and the flowers of the field.  Do not worry, put your trust in me."  And then my Sister Mommies out there who have a full pantry and fridge, may God whisper in your heart, "My beloved, your Sister and her babies go hungry today, take from what you have and give it away, fill their stomachs just as I will fill their soul."

God as our Mother would never leave us insecure - not in food, not in love.  God gives us one another so that we might feed each other with food and nourish each other with love and support.  What Mommy can you lift up today so that she can stand before her children brave and bold and supporting them in all she is and all she can give?