• Jul. 19, 2009
Longing for Produce in a Chicken Nugget World

Strange things inspire me, but I am okay with that.    Yesterday a trip to the farmer's market really got me thinking.

If you have never been to a farmer's market it is a sight to behold.  Mounds of beautiful, fresh produce stacked higher than your head.  The sights and scents and sounds are overwhelming (especially in a market the size of the one we went to!)  People push all around you searching for the best deals on the freshest fruits and vegetables.  It is not just a good place to get produce, it is actually a lot of fun.

What struck me most however was the beauty of the different food items.  Yes I said beauty!  The cool, majestic purple of a tower of plums stands in contrast next to the warm, orange and yellow of the peaches.  Deep, blue blueberries and purple, nearly black blackberries surround the vibrant red of the strawberries.  Not to be outdone by the fruits, the vegetables put on a more subtle show of beautiful greens, yellows and earth tones.

Have I gone mad, waxing eloquent about produce?  Maybe.  But the beauty of the food God created really struck me!  He gave us food that is not only delicious and nutritious, but it is also a joy to look at.  So much so that we paint pictures of bowls of fruit and place plastic fruit in bowls around our house for decoration!  Think of the beauty of the food God made for us in comparison to the food we have created, like chicken nuggets.  Okay, so I have nothing really against chicken nuggets, they taste pretty good, but their nutritional value is somewhat minimal and they look, well, not pretty.  I got to thinking about how often I eat a plate full of man-made food and how often it is all the same color, brown or pale yellow, when God has given me a whole rainbow full of food to choose from that in the end will not only fill my desire for food, but nourish me and make me feel better as well.

Now at this point you might expect me to say I have come to some grand dietary crossroads but really, while there is much value to that discussion, that is not where I am going with this.  I got to thinking about how often we gorge ourselves on man-made pleasures.  Entertainment and activities that fill an immediate desire but do nothing to nourish our souls.  On top of that the pleasures that man can invent are dull and drab compared to the beauty of the pleasures God has for us.  We are as infatuated with fleeting, momentary pleasures as a 4 year old is with chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese. 

I long to be filled with what God has for me.  So often I get so fixated on the quick and the temporary, not taking time to see the beauty God has placed all around me.  I am glad He chose the farmer's market to remind me of His goodness.  I am thankful that He took the time to make things not only good, but beautiful as well.

Shannon

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• Jul. 23, 2009
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Posted by Anonymous

AMEN LOVE MOM

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