“For When I was Hungry…”

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. I’m thankful I can serve them in these ways. (They are thankful I like to cook!)

Food and service have come together often in how we help others who are hurting or less fortunate. As parents, Scott and I have looked for concrete ways to serve others with our children. We like to serve together as a family. And it often revolves around food.

Working alongside others at our church with Feed My Starving Children has been incredibly impactful. Making mercy meals for family, friends, and neighbors in need has taught the boys that sometimes those in need can be right next door. Filling Thanksgiving Harvest bags with meals for those less fortunate, contributing to the Salvation Army’s red kettles, or filling a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child all have given the kids a tangible way to show their own gratitude for God’s blessings by sharing what they have with someone who has less.

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 or 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

• Include scripture with the gifts packed into a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child. Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34

As always, get the kids involved. When driving around town, my boys would watch for people standing on street corners with cardboard signs asking for food 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.

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.

How do you and your family reach out to the hurting and hungry, especially as the holidays approach?

How do you and your family reach out to the hurting and hungry? @McSweeney @BeckyDanielson1
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