An in-depth report on hunger, released by Second Harvest Food Bank gives insight that 732,000 people sought help from local food pantries and soup kitchens last year in central Florida– many of them families with young children. This is an astounding 152-percent increase since the previous study just four years ago. A third of those who went to food banks for help had jobs already but those jobs didn’t pay enough to cover the grocery bill.
As this Thanksgiving approached, I thought about hunger. I thought about what it would be like to have no food on my table—what it would be like to be hungry on Thanksgiving. My small group of 11th grade girls and I came up with a project and were blessed to be able to provide food for four families.
Join us for the journey...
Two days before turkey and stuffing and an extra long weekend, six young ladies and two adult women met as the sun set to deliver two containers filled heartily with food to make a Thanksgiving meal. I didn't know what to expect as we pulled into a rundown mobile home park. As I got out of the car, I was greeted by a small woman who bashfully swept the few concrete blocks in front of her mobile home. She smiled at me and welcomed us in. There, we met Ryan her 15-year-old son who was mentally delayed, as she had shared with me on the phone. He sat on the couch wide-eyed as six sixteen year-old girls stood in his living room and kitchen.
The tight area was filled with knickknacks and worn furniture. We stood chatting; I shared a little about who we were and why we were doing this. The dynamic soon changed when the boyfriend, Joe came out from the restroom. A look of shock came across his face when he saw us standing there. I quickly greeted him with a smile in hopes he would become more comfortable and told him, “I mentor these young ladies and we just wanted to bless you and your family this Thanksgiving. We wanted you to know you are loved by us and by Jesus.”
Before I could finish my sentence his eyes filled with tears, he choked up as he said, “Thank you, God bless you. You have no idea how much this means... I cannot provide, well I mean this economy..." he paused, "It’s been so hard.”
I asked if I could pray with them. Joe’s eyes brightened, “I’d really like that.”
Right there, in that tiny trailer as we held hands I felt the presence of God. I felt Him blanket that family with hope and love. As I finished my prayer, Joe looked directly in my eyes, his still filled with tears, and in pure sincerity said, “Thank you so much.”
This was one of the most humbling, gracious moments of my life. When we got back into the car, we all sat in silence for a minute. Emily,16, has gone on two mission trips to Jamaica with our youth group. Out of the silence she spoke, “That reminded me of the home visits we did in Maldon, except this poverty is five minutes from my house.”
We drove 20 minutes north to the next house. This family didn’t have a phone so I hadn’t spoken with them, just their caseworker. Driving up, lights were on and a screen door exposed the inside of the house. "Hello!" I yelled in, an elderly man lying on the couch hollered to come in. As we entered, one of the skinniest young women I have ever seen turned from the hallway. “You must be Laurie, I’m Lauren,” I said with a smile. She grinned, “I like your name.”
For a moment, she disappeared and came back with a little one on her hip. She began to explain that Aiden, 9 months old, had been in the hospital that morning after finding him eyes rolled back, gasping for breath at 7 am. He had been diagnosed with bronchitis from second hand cigarette smoke.
“No more smoking around my babies,” she said firmly. From the hallway came a two-year old, Austin. He was as cute as can be in his toy story pajamas. Distracted, she said keeping diapers in her house was close to impossible, it was her biggest need.
Aiden coughed a bit and reached out for Lucy to hold him, backtracking Laurie continued, “I’ve had to see my baby in enough pain already; I can’t have him hurting anymore.” Immediately she began to unveil her story.
She told us that when Aiden was born he was addicted to Roxies (a highly addictive prescription drug, often snorted for a high). She became addicted after being prescribed to them for back pain. Throughout her pregnancy, she used the drug and after finally deciding to quit, the doctor told her if she did, Aiden would die. She had to continue to use until after his birth.
Laurie quit "cold turkey" and has been clean ever since. She said the torture of watching your baby, scream, sweat, cry, and shake, as he goes through withdrawal symptoms only hours after being born will sober you up real quick.
Aiden is a healthy, beautiful and happy nine-month-old little boy. Laurie said something that really stood out to me and to the girls. She told us that she had very few friends anymore. She explained, “At the store up the street I run into this girl who I use to do drugs with, she’s always asking to come over and saying we should hang out but I just can’t. I’ve had to stop associating myself with certain people so I can be the mom I need to be. I’m not sure that I could resist the temptation if it was laid out in front of me, so I know I can’t hang out with my old crowd.”
Her story blew all of us away. She was so open and it was so meaningful. I felt God nudging me to speak up so I started by encouraging her and telling her how amazing and wonderful it was that she’d taken those steps in her life. I told her she didn’t need those old friends anymore because we were her friends. Lastly, we joined hands and prayed over Laurie and her beautiful boys.
Before we left, she thanked us so much for the food and expressed how wonderful it was to know they would have a big Thanksgiving meal. She told us her mother and sister’s family would be joining them, I was so glad they would have enough food to share.
The girls and I met briefly after the deliveries and talked about the experience. We all agreed our Turkey dinners would taste extra delicious this year. Gratefulness welled up in my throat and stayed. I still had two more deliveries to make the next day. But I’ll leave those stories for another time...
This project turned out much more than I bargained for. I am forever changed. These families are now my friends. My girls and I already have plans to continue to reach out to them. We want relationships with these families that extend beyond one "good Christian deed".
What I’ve learned is this; the cabinets will be empty again. The belly will be hungry once more, so to satiate only these peoples physical need is to leave them as we found them. God offers more than to meet the needs of an empty pantry--he meets the need of an empty heart. Through relationships and genuine love, we have the opportunity to offer the satisfaction for spiritual hunger and thirst. Jesus said in John 4:13, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (ESV).
For those who don't know Him, Christ's promise of abundant satisfaction is clear. And when Christ begins to have rule in your life, he calls you, not to retreat from the world, but to be present in the world in a very particular way ...in service, sacrifice, and life-giving love of Jesus Christ.
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