She Brings Her Food from Afar

Today we have our next guest blog. This one was written by my mom. She doesn't have a blog of her own, but feel free, if you have questions, to email me and I will pass them along. Since she doesn't have a blog, I thought I would give her just a bit of introduction. She and my dad have been married for 32 years. They have 7 children ages 29-4 and 6 grandchildren with one more on the way. She loves gardening, nutrition and raising her children. I hope you are blessed by this.

“She is like the merchants ships; she bringeth her food from afar.”

The wife of this passage wants only the best food for her family and she is willing to get it from “afar”. I don’t believe this means extravagant food, for the translation is bread or grain, fruit, vegetables, meat. These are the basics of good nutrition. She wants good quality food that is going to keep her family healthy. How far we have fallen from good food in this nation, even though we have been blessed with an abundance of it. As we women have taken up roles God never intended we have, we have neglected the ones we were given, in this case, feeding our families properly. I encourage you to do a little research into the way our food is grown and what we have done to destroy the nutritional value of it. Most of the food on the grocery store shelves is so processed our bodies don’t even recognize it as food. And all the fake vitamins and minerals they try to add back in after they’ve destroyed the ones God put in to begin with, are being passed through with no benefit to us, and in some cases they are harmful. If we are concerned about keeping our families healthy, we need to buy quality food and sometimes that means bringing it from afar. Stick with the basics as close to the way God created them as possible. No GMOs, chemical fertilizers, or pesticides. Make your meals from scratch, use lots of whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruits, and meats without antibiotics. Make your desserts with honey, maple syrup or whole cane sugar (ground sugar cane). Bake your own cookies, cakes, etc…instead of buying them or making them from box.

For those who are feeling overwhelmed, start small. Choose one area at a time to work on. Maybe it will be making your own bread, desserts, or even just buying organic vegetables or fruits. But start somewhere. Every little bit will help. For others it may be the expense that is keeping you from changing. Find a good co-op or similar place to buy in bulk from. You will save money and be healthier in the long run. In actuality, if you are willing to be faithful in cutting out all the “bads” you will find it really isn’t more expensive. Those boxed cereals and bagged chips cost much more than their homemade alternatives. You might also try growing some of your own. You don’t need acreage. I heard of one family who turned under their front lawn and made a garden out of it. For those who do not have a yard, there are plenty of farmers markets popping up everywhere. Talk to the farmers and ask if they use chemicals, or GMO seeds. There are also u-pick farms. What a wonderful family outing! My children love to go to the u-pick farms and feel they are contributing to the family meals. They also love to help can, freeze, or dehydrate the bounty. Learn to buy in season and store away for out of season.

There are many ways to bring your food from afar. I encourage you to start today. This is an important role for women and area you can be completely creative. Just as our spirits need the wholesome food we find in God’s word to function properly, so do our physical bodies. When our bodies are feeble, weak or in pain, it is difficult, at best to focus on anything else. We are more vulnerable to the enemy’s attacks when we are weak, so keeping our bodies healthy and strong will enable us to accomplish what God has asked us to do.