We
all need to eat. Whether you've just had a baby or you've just lost a loved
one, the last thing on your mind is figuring out what’s for supper. Here’s
where friends, family and faith communities come in. Providing a meal is a
practical way to meet a need and show someone you care. As believers, our love
for Jesus propels us to care.
During
Jesus’ three years of ministry, He went about teaching spiritual truth but He
did not ignore the physical needs of those around Him. Jesus didn't just preach
lofty ideals with His head in the clouds. He was interested in what the people
around Him were going through here on earth.
In
Mark 6, we find the account of the feeding of the 5000. Jesus had been preaching
all day to a huge crowd. All day. In the desert. In the hot sun. Not in an
air-conditioned, cushy auditorium with a coffee break and refreshments. He was
tired so He crossed the lake to get away from the crowd. The crowd followed
Jesus; they couldn't get enough of His life-giving words. Jesus could have
pulled the diva card and had His entourage whisk Him away so He could find some
lodging and food. But that doesn't seem to be Jesus’ way. His way is
compassion. He saw that they were hot, tired and hungry. So He used a boy’s
lunch to feed them miraculously. The people were amazed. Sometimes an act of compassion surpasses the impact of words alone.
Our words must be accompanied with acts of compassion.
There
are so many situations people in our circle are going through where a meal
could be beneficial:
- A new baby
- A death in the family
- A lengthy illness
- A family member is in the hospital
- Your child’s teacher is writing report cards
- A student is in the middle of exams
- Someone is taking care of aging parents
- Your Youth Pastor is out every night of the week with students and only has time to grab Subway
- A move
- And the list goes on . . .
I
know what you’re thinking: “I’m no Martha Stewart . . . I don’t even know where
to start”. Don’t worry . . . keep things simple. The aim of hospitality isn't to show off but to show up. Trust me,
the new mom with spit-up on her shirt and toys scattered all over the floor is
not going to be judging you. Some of my favourite things to take to people are
basic staples like: soup/buns, stew/biscuits, chili/garlic bread, all-in-one
casseroles with a salad. If you really feel inadequate in the kitchen, pick up
a rotisserie chicken or ready-made pizza. Costco has some great meals made
in-store like chicken pot pie or alfredo penne. No condemnation here!
Tips:
- If a family has children, keep things kid-friendly.
- Check on dietary needs (ie. low-sugar for diabetics or low-salt for heart patients) and allergies (nuts, dairy, etc.).
- Drop the meal and leave. Don’t hang around too long unless you can make yourself useful.
- Use tin foil pans or inexpensive plastic containers so they don’t need to be returned to you.
- Think outside the box. Drop off muffins for a quick-grab breakfast or easy lunchbox idea for kids.
- When you’re cooking for your family, double the recipe and freeze the other half for an emergency meal for someone in need.
Here
are a couple of great websites:
- Mennonite
Girls Can Cook - http://www.mennonitegirlscancook.ca/
- Pioneer
Woman - http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/
- Here’s
a great online resource called Meal Train that coordinates a group of people to
bring meals to someone. Willing participants are emailed and plug their names
into a particular date and let others know what food they will be bringing so there aren't 12 lasagnas. http://www.mealtrain.com/
I
recently had a friend pass away and the person in charge of coordinating meals
for the husband and sons left behind put a cooler on the family’s front deck. Those
who were bringing meals were to place their meal in the cooler by 5 PM and pick
up their dirty dishes from the cooler the next day. What a great idea!
Go
and be a blessing!
Brenda
E.
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