Final Countdown

I'll admit it.  I'm scared.

I know what I'm like when I'm hungry and it's not pretty.  Thankfully, I'll be leaving for 3 weeks of seminary on day 6 of this journey.  I hope that this will provide the adjustment time I need so that I'm not grouchy with my family when I get back.

On the up-side, I don't have to worry about spending lots of money buying expensive meals while I'm gone.  Right?

In preparation, one thing I've done is cut back my Diet Dr. Pepper intake so that I'm completely caffeine-free prior to Wednesday.  I decided the last thing I needed were caffeine withdrawals along with the hunger.

Another thing I've done is preparation is order my "I am Second" wristband.  Besides being a project that I've followed and appreciated for years, that black band will serve as my reminder that I am fortunate enough to GET to eat the Numana once each day.  I will try to look at this food as a precious gift rather than a sacrifice.  I want to get these things in the right perspective.  As I mentioned in my first blog post, this band represents life--grace!  Grace given to only some chosen ones.

I'm excited about this journey and the insight I will gain through the suffering.  But I am terrified.  Terrified that I can't do it.  Terrified that I won't handle hunger well emotionally. Terrified that physically I won't feel well while away from my family.

Please consider making a donation to Numana based on my perseverance.  For example, "I'll give $2 for each month that you can do it!"  This will encourage me to keep it up while also providing a nice donation to Numana at the end of this project (July 31, 2013) to help them continue their battle against hunger.  It's an honor system, drop me a message or leave a comment with your name and pledge.

And please remember to pray--for me, but even more so, for those who don't choose to live like this.

For the Dogs

We are spending time this week visiting family before a new school year starts.  Over the last 24 hours I feel like we have spent an outrageous amount of time eating.  My husband's mother fixes big meals (three a day) as well as snacks--bread pudding, pineapple upside down cake, ice cream, cookies, candy, fruit, etc.  Her refrigerator is so full that it was difficult to put away the leftovers from dinner.  I've always been quite aware that she could survive for months if she were ever trapped in her home.

This has made me remember life in this home prior to my husband's father's early Alzheimer's diagnosis and subsequent death.  Two large Basset Hounds dominating their time and attention after my husband and sister grew up and left home.  

Those dogs were so spoiled.  Because they were so used to eating table scraps, they refused to eat dog food.  So, they quit buying dog food.  Instead, my mother-in-law would have a ham shredded for them.  It even got to the point that she would by chicken legs and fry them up for those dogs.  I'll never forget when they moved, she fried up the Schwan's chicken breasts that were in the freezer for those spoiled, overweight, slobbering dogs.

After these dogs died and a new Basset took their place, the pattern continued.  The new twist was an added 2:00 snack--a Schwan's ice cream sandwich.  (They tried Blue Bunny but he just didn't like it as well.)

This is all on my mind today as I think about my upcoming challenge.  Do we really feed our pets here better than many people eat across the globe?  How many people worldwide would be glad to have some packaged American dog food to satisfy their bloated, empty bellies?  How many would be glad to have a fat basset...to eat, not to feed?  

We take so much for granted.

It Begins...

Although I've been talking about it for a while, today it became real.  Jay from Numana delivered enough food to provide me with one serving per day for a year.

Two boxes.  Enough food for one person for one year in two 33-pound boxes.  I'm sure that each week when I fill my grocery cart, it contains more food than this.  Yet for many people, this is the one meal they get each day.  This is the food that they thank God for and devour hungrily and gratefully.

John Gasangwa inspired me through this episode from Lifetree Café.  As a child he was taken to a hospital where he was given an armband.  This armband represented food...life.  Those with armbands received one bowl of porridge per day.  He survived.

As the week went on I found myself more aware of the quantity of food we consume and the reasons that we consume it.  We don't eat because we are hungry.  Our stomachs are like spoiled children--when they make a little noise we satisfy them.  It's not just our stomachs; it's also our emotions.  Whether we are happy, sad, lonely, getting together with friends, angry (the list goes on and on), we punctuate these emotions with food.

We don't see food as fuel for our bodies.  We view food as entertainment.  We can take it or leave it.  And most of us (including me) are taking more than our bodies need.  We are worried about taste, texture, and even presentation.  Ridiculous.

Although I don't have access to the porridge that John was given, I am familiar with Numana, Inc.  A few years ago I participated in one of their packaging events with my youngest children.  As we put together the ingredients and sealed the bags, I realized that this small bag would serve six meals.  Would I even eat this if it was offered to me...or would I turn up my nose and track down a Quarter Pounder?  I emailed them.

My idea?  Experience hunger.  Survive on one serving of Numana's product per day for a year.  An armband will serve as a reminder that not everyone gets to make the choice daily about what and how much they will eat.  Why would I do this?  One reason is completely selfish--I want to understand.  Similar to fasting, I believe the spiritual benefits will greatly outweigh the discomfort.  The other reason is to increase awareness of hunger and support for the organizations that are fighting it.  I'm challenging you to make a commitment to set aside a donation that you would be willing to repeat for every month I am successful.  It might be just $1 a month.  It doesn't have to be a huge commitment on your part.  But those dollars will add up to provide me an incentive when I want to give in to my spoiled appetite.

Just one daily serving of Numana for one daily serving Jesus Christ.

The project starts August 1, 2012.  What do you say?