Have you ever been hungry with no means to get food?
Have you ever been unable to purchase food for your kids?
I’d venture to guess it’s a hard place to be in, when you are concerned about how to feed yourself and your children. It seems to me, that Luke 6:30 would be my favored verse if I were in such a situation.
“And He raised His eyes towards His disciples and began saying, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” Luke 6:20 (NASB)
Please know that this verse isn’t entirely focused on the status of being poor in the physical sense…it speaks partially to those who are poor are often richer in spiritual matters. Regardless of the commentary about the verse, it does speak to my heart when I remember what it was like to be in the status of poor.
There were times in my childhood when my parents needed government assistance to feed our family. I distinctly remember the packet of tear-out papers, which were food stamps. I remember my mom getting our school lunches at a lower rate. And one summer, I know that cheese and peanuts arrived at our house, which were stamped “Government Cheese” and “Government Peanuts.” In all fairness, there could have been other “Government Food,” but I only remember the cheese and nuts.
Why do I remember the government cheese so clearly? Because it was a ginormous block of Velveeta type of cheese, which didn’t melt well, nor would it slice thinly for a sandwich. It was just a gooey mess….one that gave us much needed calories (even if they were completely processed and fake).
The peanuts, on the other hand, were as perfect as God intended them. They were blanched, but unsalted. We ate them plain, in yogurt, mixed with popcorn, in salads, in pasta…we even tried our hand at making homemade peanut butter. That summer of the ‘government cheese,’ I became an expert on making peanut brittle. I made so much peanut brittle, that I got to a point I didn’t even consult the recipe card.
In the midst of being poor and my parents receiving assistance, my pre-teen self didn’t even realize we were in dire straits.
Why?
Perhaps because my parents partially hid it from us.
Perhaps because it was part of our lives and I didn’t question it.
Mostly because we were blessed. Luke 6:20 assures us of that blessing, even in the midst of being poor. God protected us physically and spiritually. Even if we hadn’t eaten, we still were assured of our place in the Kingdom of Heaven.
God is good. All the time. Even with the government cheese.
~Emily
Iron Porch 