Staff Lunch Lesson

When we got to staff lunch today we were all given a little slip of colored paper. We all walked in, sat down and began receiving instructions. While instructions are being given the smell of barbecue filled the room. Each color represented a different group of people. Purple represented those who have the means to feed themselves and their families. Yellow represented those who are "food insecure" and go to food pantries. And red represented those who are "food desserts".  They are those who have to shop at convenience stores or must buy the cheapest food and therefore the food that's not nutritious. (Hopefully I didn't butcher these too badly.)

So off we went... Purple stayed and enjoyed barbecue, red went upstairs and had frozen microwaved burritos with fire Cheetos and yellow went downstairs for beans, corn, a piece of bread and water. As you can see I was in the yellow group. 

Today had a profound affect on my brain. I watched as we got downstairs the sadness I felt for the kids and wanting them to go first, the peace I had knowing that I would be able to eat later, and the entitlement of feeling a little put out at not getting my good staff lunch.  Such a sad reality in my heart!

Now to the most profound part. When we went back upstairs and talked about it I actually felt embarrassed, like I was a little bit of an outcast and others "felt sorry for me." And there were some feelings of not being "chosen." All pretty amazing coming from such a simple lesson.  

And it had me thinking about kids and families who deal with this all the time. They have to sit at the lunch table and watch as others have something fun and different in their lunch every day. They probably watch as food gets thrown away that they would love to eat. I'm sure there's a level of jealousy and maybe even bitterness that builds. It broke my heart.

And tonight, I got to eat dinner. But I'm still thinking. And I hope, I'll have a thankful heart and think about how I view food and where my entitlement needs to change and I hope I'll do something with what I learned today.  May it not just be an exercise!

So very thankful for those I work with that challenge me to a more Christlike obedient place.