I really appreciated the feedback on my last post. This whole thing is definitely a work in progress for me.
In fact, I went grocery shopping yesterday and spent $100 between 2 stores. I might have saved money by going to a third (Randazzo’s for produce) but that just felt overwhelming.
It’s a far cry from the $30 some people can stick to, but it’s way less than the $175 I’ve managed to spend in the past, so I’ll chalk it up as a step in the right direction.
In this post I want to share a few things that have had a profound impact on how I think about food and made me start trimming my grocery budget.
The first is a post called The Undeniable Facts About Diet Coke.
My friend Donna shared this via Facebook and I was quick to click on it since I’m an avid diet coke hater. Diet anything for that matter. I pretty much think aspartame is poison and I avoid it like the plague.
When I saw the title of the post my first thought (no joke) was, “Awesome! Donna thinks Diet Coke is evil too.”
Boy was I in for a surprise when I read the article :)
You really should take a couple of minutes to click over and read it, but I’ll share a few things that particularly convicted me.
This first one may have been the most powerful. Especially the bold parts…
How does it work, that having a bountiful supply of food before me is seen as the enemy instead of a blessing?
Do I think I’m better than those people in poverty, so I deserve optimal “natural” food? Or, do I think that everyone deserves it, but because not everyone is in a place to access it, rice and corn mash are good enough for their kids but definitely not mine? When you donate food to the food pantry, do you donate the expensive organic carefully-sourced food that you insist is the only acceptable thing to put in your body and that you feed yourself and your family, or do you get the cheapest canned and boxed food at the store?
How does it work, that having a bountiful supply of food before me is seen as the enemy instead of a blessing?
Ouch, right?
That stuff really got me.
I know that I get a warm fuzzy feeling inside when I send money off to help a starving child in Africa. I feel so generous, like I’m doing my part to help the world. I imagine them gobbling up their mush and getting a full belly and it eases my conscience.
Would I be ok feeding Grace and Avery corn mush every day? Probably not.
I already feel like the PB&J I give Grace, on whole wheat bread with all-natural peanut butter and jam that doesn’t contain any high fructose corn syrup, might as well be fast food because the wheat has been genetically modified, the peanuts have been treated with fungicide and strawberries are one of the most heavily sprayed crops.
Seriously. Grace ADORES peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and I literally cringe every time I make her one because I feel like I’m doing her a disservice.
Then there was this…
As I’m standing in the grocery store, I think of some of the poorest people in Nicaragua I’ve seen living and scrounging for food near the garbage dump. I get a bit upset at the arrogance that says the strawberries or apples or oranges stacked in heaping piles before me are “not good enough” because they are not organic.
I mean honestly. We need to make good choices for our families and not eat Ramen Noodles and Lucky Charms every day, but we should not be scoffing at piles of clean, safe produce just because they’re not organic.
Oh boy, this one was a wake-up call…
I am repulsed by the idolatry that my body is so precious that I must find something more healthy and pure, that these non-organic fruits lack enough nutritional value for the little god that is me.
Oh my.
I know that not everyone who shops for organic fruits and vegetables is as arrogant as that statement implies, but when I hold SO HARD AND FAST to the idea that the bountiful food that I get TO CHOOSE FROM at the grocery store is subpar, who do I really think I am?
Let me be perfectly clear that I am not judging people who shop carefully for their families. I too feel strongly about making wise choices for my family.
I’m just sharing these ideas because I get SO WORKED UP about eating the “right” way that it robs me of the peace and joy that God wants for me.
Perhaps that has not ever happened to you. I hope it hasn’t.
Is it possible that I might make small choices and choose some chemical-free home products and eat more vegetables and try to buy locally and avoid GMO here and there when viable and still dig into a bowl of mac and cheese… That I might enjoy making my own bread but once in a while, buy a loaf from the store or order a pizza…Or is this just an all-or-nothing proposition? It seems that every moment is a lecture moment for the food police, whose forgiveness and grace policies are non-existent.
Maybe it’s ok not to buy all the perfect food. To make good choices as often as I can, but also be ok with eating a pizza or a conventionally grown apple without beating myself up.
Maybe I need to ask God to help me not judge myself (or anyone else) about what they are eating. Because honestly, I don’t think HE cares. I believe HE is far more concerned about the state of our HEARTS.
It’s easier for us to create rules to follow than to humbly submit our hearts to God for Him to have His way with us.
A heart fully turned toward Him is what I want to be my first priority.
The last thing I want to share also made a big difference in how I think…
Apparently Joyce Meyer has talked about saying grace before meals and not only thanking God for our food, but also asking Him to keep us safe from anything about it that may be harmful to us!
This would mean making good choices and turning the rest over to Him, the author of life and our ultimate protector!
After all, we live in a fallen world. Our days are numbered by the Lord. Surely we won’t mess that up by eating the “wrong” food. If we believe we will, maybe our view of God is smaller than it ought to be…
This was a long post. Thank you for reading and coming along this journey with me. I don’t have it all figured out, but I’m so grateful for the different perspectives I’ve encountered. They are resulting in more peace and joy in this area of my life and I’m ever grateful for that :)
