Forty million families on food stamps, that's a big number
This week the government announced that there are now 40 million Americans receiving food assistance commonly known as food stamps. (There are 309 million Americans in the USA) The number represents a 21 percent increase over this time last year and it is increasing monthly because of unemployment.
The food assistance program assures that families in our nation do not face starvation because of a lack of food. However, there is a conundrum. Food stamps buy food but not washing powder, deodorant or soap. With unemployment nearing 10 percent many are still hungry because they are selling portions of the food stamps to get money to keep the lights on. You can't keep the milk cold without a refrigerator, you can't boil the water or cook store bought foodstuffs in the microwave without electricity. So some sell their food stamps for .50 cents on the dollar to get enough to keep the utilities on.
It's not legal, but it's a reality. It's happening.
It seems like an endless spiral because the stamps are sold to get utilities or pay rent, but without a sufficient supply of stamps, many face the prospect of hunger all over again.
Without faith that God will make a way, it's possible for those caught in this endless loop to mentally lose it!
Those who are temporarily in trouble should not be totally discouraged; God is still on the throne. He will shake the borders of the universe if necessary to care for the industrious righteous. He has promised it and it will be done.
There is a passage in Psalms 37:25 that says, "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread."
Those temporarily forced to use food stamps should not consider themselves beggars but those making use of an available resource. Lift up your heads, do what you have to do to use every available resource and legal means to keep food on the table.
Don't give up, keep the the faith.
God will make a way; the righteous will not be forsaken.
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Saturday, June 05, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
No knife or fork, just chicken and french fries
She didn't know how to use a knife and fork,why was I surprised?
Yesterday, I met a young lady, about 20 years old, who caught my attention when I discovered that she did not know how to use a knife and fork to cut her meat at dinner. It was a revelation because she admitted that many in her generation don't eat foods that require cutting. "We eat chicken, nuggets and french fries," she said. Then I recalled a few years ago I attended a dinner in which steaks were served and I noticed an 18 year old trying to cut the steak with the dull side of the knife. It dawned on me that she did notknow how to use the knife because meats that required cutting were not in her diet.
A generation that has been reared on junk food and fast food has no need for knives at the dinner table; they only order finger foods and quick foods anyway.
There are many in life who are not ready to receive the rich blessings that God has for them in all matters of life because they have junk food expectations. If God delivered them an 18 ounce steak sized blessing, they wouldn't know how to handle it because they are accustomed to finger foods. A small blessing is all they want or expect out of life.
Finger foods: owning a car, not owning the dealership.
Finger foods: being a nurse's aide, not a nurse
Finger foods: wearing knockoffs, not the originals.
Finger foods: working at McDonald's, not owning the franchise.
Big blessings require a little cutting; they are too big to digest at one time. Little blessing can be nibbled and digested in small nuggets.
Many are not ready for the big blessings but will settle for french fries all of their lives. The Lord prepares a table of big blessings for each of us but often we pick over the good stuff, looking for chicken and french fry blessings.
Yet, God has prepared some big stuff for us in life. He has spread out a full course of possibilities. The big things he has planned for us are tasty, but they won't be nuggets; we'll have to work with them to spiritually digest them, but they will be good for us.
The bible says, in Psalms 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
The young lady I met told me that it didn't matter how fancy the restaurant, she would still browse the menu looking chicken and french fries; that's all she wants, that's all she will get.
Yesterday, I met a young lady, about 20 years old, who caught my attention when I discovered that she did not know how to use a knife and fork to cut her meat at dinner. It was a revelation because she admitted that many in her generation don't eat foods that require cutting. "We eat chicken, nuggets and french fries," she said. Then I recalled a few years ago I attended a dinner in which steaks were served and I noticed an 18 year old trying to cut the steak with the dull side of the knife. It dawned on me that she did notknow how to use the knife because meats that required cutting were not in her diet.
A generation that has been reared on junk food and fast food has no need for knives at the dinner table; they only order finger foods and quick foods anyway.
There are many in life who are not ready to receive the rich blessings that God has for them in all matters of life because they have junk food expectations. If God delivered them an 18 ounce steak sized blessing, they wouldn't know how to handle it because they are accustomed to finger foods. A small blessing is all they want or expect out of life.
Finger foods: owning a car, not owning the dealership.
Finger foods: being a nurse's aide, not a nurse
Finger foods: wearing knockoffs, not the originals.
Finger foods: working at McDonald's, not owning the franchise.
Big blessings require a little cutting; they are too big to digest at one time. Little blessing can be nibbled and digested in small nuggets.
Many are not ready for the big blessings but will settle for french fries all of their lives. The Lord prepares a table of big blessings for each of us but often we pick over the good stuff, looking for chicken and french fry blessings.
Yet, God has prepared some big stuff for us in life. He has spread out a full course of possibilities. The big things he has planned for us are tasty, but they won't be nuggets; we'll have to work with them to spiritually digest them, but they will be good for us.
The bible says, in Psalms 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
The young lady I met told me that it didn't matter how fancy the restaurant, she would still browse the menu looking chicken and french fries; that's all she wants, that's all she will get.
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