Daily Bread/Daily Abundance

Many, many years ago in a galaxy far, far away, my first husband simply walked away from our home. I found myself with two small children in a situation that would soon leave me homeless and in need of  food. I reminded my kids of the faithfulness of God, and was later told about a food pantry at the Texas Baptist Children's Home Family Cottage Ministry. (We would eventually end up living for a year and a half at that wonderful place while God mapped out the Plan B of our lives.) I first visited their food pantry expecting boxes of macaroni and cheese and canned tuna, and I would have been extremely grateful for them. What I walked away with were many bags full of unexpected blessings. As God would have it, there was a freak hard freeze in our areas of Texas that February, and the local candy store could not deliver its Valentine goodies. The TBCH food pantry was the recipient of  dozens of specialty chocolate covered strawberries. When I went home, I spread the food out on the counter to show my children the abundance and lavish love of God. "God is to us a God of deliverance," I remember saying to them. "And He is a God of chocolate covered strawberries!" piped up Young Son who was a tiny tot at that time. What a perfect example of the love of God, and the care He would have for us in the days ahead.

I was reminded of this story yesterday when a flash mob of friends showed up at my home  bearing food gifts of such abundance for our visiting family that we were momentarily speechless. I think if we are not able to finish all this food, we'll be able to invite a small third world country over to gorge on the leftovers.  Food of such abundance delivered with such love. My husband, D, has not been eating much lately, but he couldn't resist the lure of all these goodies. As I filled his plate he told me to not be so "stingy" with the servings, and then asked for seconds.  He was a happy, and full, man last night: full of good food and the love and care of good friends.

We are expecting many family members to come home in the next several days to have a good, maybe last, visit with D. One thing that we have learned on this journey with cancer is that the abundant life that God promises us is not for "some day when...", it is for now, regardless of the circumstances. Thank you, friends, for being what our pastor calls "Jesus with skin". You've blessed our home with untold riches both practical and eternal.

God is to us a God of deliverance. And this time around? He is also a God of Hershey's with Almonds.