Friday began without me today and it seems like I am already playing catch up. My coffee choice is Door County Peanut Butter Crunch and it is extra hot, just the way I like it.
Yesterday Rene and I went to a Major League Baseball game to watch the local team pursue a run at the playoffs. Hopefully they will make it. It was a chore for me to be there yesterday as I haven't been feeling too well the last couple of weeks. But I made it through the game. I was glad I went. It was the last of the tickets we purchased for the season. It was a great day to be in the ball park.
There was a crowd of over 30,000 fans so it was easy to people watch and yet enjoy the game. It was an exciting game with ups and downs but fortunately more ups than downs for the home team and they came away with a win.
But while watching the game I noticed a man with three young girls come into the stadium and sit next to us. I am guessing at the ages of the girls and I think it is safe to say they ranged in age from ten to 14 years old. Two may have been twins. They were well behaved and went unnoticed until Dad decided to purchase some food for them. They left their seats and all went to a concession stand for some grub. When they returned the 3 girls were all carrying enough food for 6 girls to say the least. I am pretty quick at math and it didn't take me very long to add up the expense of their food. I might have missed an item or two but I quickly assessed their eating at $110. Stadium food is not cheap, but believe me they had more than they needed.
They went about eating and I noticed within 15 minutes they were finished and had set the rest of their food down to be thrown out. I gave it a quick look and would say if half of it were eaten it would be a generous tribute. I have to say less than half was gone.
Now the business of feeding the kids was the Dad's business. But I could not help but compare my last time grocery shopping to what they spent on food. My last trip to the store purchased two weeks of groceries for $115.
My grandparents went through the Great Depression and World War Two. They were used to making ends meet and stretching what they had beyond stretch limits. I still make a soup that my Grandmother called a "Depression Special" made from tomato sauce and garlic. They grew their own vegetables and berries and ate a lot of venison, rabbit and fish. Nothing was wasted. My Grandfather loved to fish, Bait was expensive so he picked his own night crawlers and trapped his own minnows. These practices were still in play when I came into the world. They were practiced right up until they passed away.
What I saw yesterday was a little appalling. Rene and I treated ourselves to a box of popcorn and two soft drinks while at the game. We then went home to a roast beef dinner, with potatoes and carrots and a slice of apple pie. This was all made and eaten for around ten dollars. The bonus was that we ate in a quiet setting where we talked about the game and our plans for today.
We saved the left overs for lunch today and nothing was wasted, Now I have no idea why "Dad" allowed all the waste to happen ,but it sure didn't teach the girls the value of a dollar, sharing, or not to waste. I actually felt bad for them. Hopefully they will never know several days strung together with hunger pains or the one meal you eat is the only one of the day. My mission trips have taken me to impoverished countries. I can guarantee that the food wasted yesterday wouldn't have gone to waste in some of the places I have been to.
We owe it to ourselves, children, and grandchildren to practice not wasting food or other supplies. My Grandmother would have scolded us for the actions I saw yesterday. The kids were taught to satisfy their wants immediately, over spend and waste. It makes me wonder what their credit cards will look like in about ten years. We have to teach being frugal and to practice common sense now to avoid calamity in their lives later.
Jesus performed the miracle of feeding thousand by multiplying loaves of bread and fish. We need to treat all food as miracles and not waste it. Jesus didn't waste food
When they all had enough to eat, Jesus said to His disciples, "Gather all the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted."
Enough said. Are you wasting things today? What did you teach the kids today? Was their plate half full from breakfast and then tossed into the trash?
I hope not.
Marty
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