Random thoughts on Starvation, Obesity, and Organic Food

http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/articles/food_crisis_in_kenya/

RT @injusticefacts: 28 percent of children in developing countries are severely underweight while 45% of American children are overweight. My friend Stacy Leigh, over at My Messy Manger, had this posted as her facebook status yesterday and I've been thinking about it a lot.

Then I read this article from Samaritan's Purse about the food crisis in the horn of Africa right now and what they are doing to help and I couldn't help but think about that above quote again, and feel guilty.

I'm not obese at all but I do sometimes go back and forth about spending so much money on groceries. You see, I love to buy organic because of all the toxins, pesticides, and chemicals in just about all of our food here in America. It costs more. A lot of the reason it costs more is because it supports sustainable pracitices and provides fair wages and good working conditions for those harvesting the crops so this makes me feel good. But it also means that money I could be using to send to Samaritan's Purse or other organizations is going towards our grocery bill. I believe buying organic is worthwhile because it helps others and I believe it is a great way to steward the body God gave me and to take care of my family. But I just have these random conflicting thoughts that sometimes cross my mind and I sometimes wonder if its "okay" to spend so much money on groceries when there are so many starving. So that's my struggle. Can anyone relate? Ideally, one day we hope to learn more about homesteading and grow most all of our own food or participate in CSAs, etc. This would help bring the cost down immensely.

And then there is the obesity problem in America. It saddens me when I look at pictures like this:

And then I look at pictures like this:

There is so much wrong with these two contrasting pictures and scenarios that I cannot even begin to put my thoughts into words. Our country is so greedy and gluttonous it is sickening. We are so materialistic and consumeristic and ravenous really. It saddens me that parents allow their children to get obese and overweight because of the hazard it is for their health. (genetics just means you have to work harder at keeping the weight off, it is not an excuse for obesity) It also maddens me when I am reminded of the fact that there are children all over the world and even in our own country that are starving. How can this be?! It is not right! Even though I am not obese I am still guilty of over eating and indulging in food and goods that I do not need, while children die from starvation daily all over the world.

What will we do to help the starving children in Kenya, Somalia, and other areas in the horn of Africa? Will we turn away and pretend like it doesn't exist as we continue to stuff our faces and our homes with stuff we don't need? I am asking myself these questions as well. I know that the needs are so overwhelming all over the world and I am just one person. You are just one person. But one person + one person + one person, etc. can make a big difference.

Let us pray that God would open our eyes to our gluttonous hearts and our gluttonous stomaches and show us how He would have us help starving children all over the world and in our own back yards.