Food for the Body & Soul

In my house, food talks. With three men, my husband and two teenagers, I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Feeding their bodies well is important to me. Feeding their souls is imperative.

The two have come together often in how we serve others who are hurting or less fortunate. As parents, Scott and I wanted concrete ideas to serve others in ways that assisted hurting people and were also impactful learning experiences for the boys. We’ve found we like to serve together as a family. And it often revolves around food.

Last weekend, our church hosted a mobile food pack with Feed My Starving Children. The goal of 500,000 meals was exceeded by over 20,000. When God’s people come together, great things can happen! Scott, the boys, and I were blessed to work alongside old and new friends, preparing meals to feed hungry children. The meals were measured, packed and sealed to the chant of “chicken, veggies, soy, and rice!” Laura Crosby, another member of the 1 Corinthians 13 Parenting team, and I served on the same shift!

Here are other ways to be the hands and feet of Jesus to feed the hungry and heartbroken.

• Pray at mealtimes, prayers of thankfulness and for those who have less. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. Matthew 18:20

• Provide a mercy meal for a friend of neighbor. A hot meal fills the tummy, soothes the heart, and speaks volumes of love. A friend loves at all times… Proverbs 17:17a

• Write encouraging scripture on fast food gift certificates. Tuck them in the visor of your car to give to the needy on a street corner. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat… Matthew 25:35a

As always, get your kids involved. When driving around town, my boys would watch for people standing on street corners with cardboard signs so they could hand a packet of gift certificates out the window. Looking into the eyes of someone who is hungry, telling that person you will pray for him is a humbling experience. It’s also a great launch pad for conversations regarding thankfulness and servanthood.

Feed the hungry with food for the body and God’s Word for the soul. In doing so, you’ll provide hope and valuable lessons for your children.

© 2013 Becky Danielson. All rights reserved.

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Photo by Larm Rmah on Unsplash

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