Your Food Stamps Won't Work

October 02, 2013

Dear Kiddos,

I hesitate to write this because I don't want to offend anyone. However, this blog is made for you guys to look back and learn from your life. So I am writing this to you. Today I learned a lesson that I want you to remember.

Today was a rough day for the three of us. Sweet Girl, you were up for 2.5 hours crying last night because you are teething. Little Man, you woke up just as early as ever ready to attack the day and find adventure in every moment. I was dragging. Really dragging.

As the day progressed and Little Man, you realized you were not going any where, your pent up energy reared it's head in ugly ways. Pushing your sister over, holding toys just out of her reach, stepping on her hand, etc. So I figured we have got to get out of the house and burn off some of your energy. I summoned all my energy and decided on a family walk to the grocery store.

I dressed us in crummy clothes because I knew we would be sweating. We set off. It was not a slow walk. We were burning energy. When we walked we went at a good clip. However, right now the world is a wonderland for you both. Every rock, bush, cactus, ant and bug has to be inspected and circled before we can move on to the next bug. By the time we got to the grocery store we had walked half a mile. I know I looked bedraggled and worn down and sweaty.

Labor Day Adventure

We get to the check out and the cashier says to me, "Your Food Stamps won't work."

I was quite taken a back. I said, "What?"

To which she repeats, "Your Food Stamps won't work." I stare blankly. She says, "Do you have Food Stamps?"

I say, "No. But they won't work because the government is shut down." I proceeded to check out. We left with our groceries strapped to our stroller. Little Man in the stroller, Sweet Girl strapped to my chest in the carrier, sweat dripping down my back. Then I got my feathers ruffled.

the speed our lives are lived

I started thinking ugly thoughts, thoughts that were prideful and unkind. "How dare she think I was on Food Stamps. I must look like such a mess to for her to think I used Food Stamps." At this point we walked towards a bus stop and the bus waited for us to offer us a ride. At this point my already ruffled feathers went crazy. "Not only do I look like I am on Food Stamps, now I look like I can't afford a car. How much of a mess do I look."

It was at this point your Daddy's voice entered my head and reminded me to see life through our "Jesus Glasses". "Jesus Glasses" are when you see the world they way Jesus would see it, with compassion, kindness, humility, love and not judgement.

I put my feathers back in place and thought of the people we know and are friends with who are on food stamps or don't have a car. Pastors, teachers, people who live their lives in service. Jobs that are great jobs and needed jobs but jobs that don't pay what is necessary to live on.

Kiddos, right now we live a very blessed life. We are able to pay all our bills, buy food, buy cute clothes, take family trips, save money for the future and eat out. We walk to the grocery store to get exercise, not because we don't have a car. We buy small amount of groceries because that is all we need this week, not because that is all we have the money for. This has not always been the case, for your daddy and I. It is not the case for some of the people in the world. What I hope you learn and what I hope we teach you is to value what we are blessed with, but to always have a heart to help those who are not as fortunate.

God did not ask us to live a life full of money and stuff. He asked us to be kind and compassionate. I hope that you guys grow up to be kind and compassionate. I hope you grow up to have a huge heart to help others. I hope that you grow up and think about how sad it is that there are people who don't have enough food for their families. I hope that when you grow up your feathers don't get ruffled when people are kind to you and offer you rides on a bus.