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Sunday, February 14, 2010

Showing Love with Food


I know, I know --- You’re expecting a Valentine’s Day post including the mushy stuff about how we celebrate here without spending a ton of money.  Nope, sorry --- that ‘s not what you’re gonna get today (and yes we do celebrate --- and no, we don’t spend a ton of money!)
This is the time of year that our church begins thinking seriously about Easter --- sort of the “get ready, get set” for Easter.  We’re not huge into Lent, per se – most of the traditions that people associate with Lent just pass us by.  But, like Thanksgiving and Christmas, we take some time to “get ready”.  It just makes Easter that much more meaningful for all of us (especially in this household, where Easter gets really, really hectic)
We participate in an ecumenical effort known as “One Great Hour of Sharing” and we use that offering as a way to ready our spirits and our minds to celebrate Easter.  So I thought that this month (okay, 40 days), I’d do my usual “Countdown” to a holiday (with all of the household getting ready stuff) AND share with you some of the more meaningful days of our countdown offering as well. 
Today the offering calendar asks us to think about a time someone showed us love using food – and then add our offering of thanksgiving for that person and their love. 
For me, the instantaneous thought was Mom.  I’ve shared before that we grew up poor.  My mother knew how to pinch a penny so tight that Abe Lincoln tried to run every time he saw her coming.  Food was one way she demonstrated love --- she cooked, canned, froze, baked and kept our family not only fed, but well fed every day of the week.  Holidays, she really went overboard, using frugal ingredients to make something special. 
But the time that first comes to my mind was about 12 years ago.  I had a very serious case of pneumonia and a collapsed lung.  I was stuck at home, in bed, and alone.  Mom dropped by every day with a bottle of juice, some soup, bread or other food fit for an invalid.  She quietly left it between my storm door and the front door for me to find whenever I awakened.  The cold weather kept everything naturally “refrigerated” for me.   It was such a quiet, gentle act of kindness and love.  And I am profoundly grateful for it to this day.  


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