Ok, let me begin by saying, “Coffee is good.”  Now, on with the goods.

Today is Thanksgiving Day.  What a great day.  I really like seeing all of the people on Facebook expressing the multitude of people and things in their life they are thankful for.  Being thankful is clearly not extinct but from what everyone seems to note in their status is that it is always susceptible to being forgotten.  I came across an obscure verse in the Bible this morning while studying for something else that may identify what makes gratitude so vulnerable and which also plays perfectly with the $2 a Day Challenge.  Here it is and see if you see it too.

God says of His people, “When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me."

I don’t believe the first step in being ungrateful is forgetting to be thankful.  I believe God is saying it is when we forget Him.

Have a happy Thanksgiving.

So what do you do when this is over?  Continue eating on $2 a day?  Go back to how you were eating before this began?  I have been asked if I plan on buying a really big cup of Starbucks.  One of the many thoughts I have been chewing on (pun intended) has been the truth that just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should.  Learning to eat on $2 a day has opened my eyes even more to the needs of so many in our world today.  It has also helped me see more clearly that my reach to these and others in need is extended further when I begin a daily practice of living closer to what I need and further from what I want.  The benefit to others when I do this is that the difference between my need and my want equals something I can give away.  What exactly?  Just fill in the blank.  Time, food, money, energy, and the list can go on.  So what am I going to have tomorrow morning?  Nothing with rice!  But I have decided that my first cup of coffee in a week will come from a .50 cent pot of java brewed in my office.

In this whole $2 a day challenge, I seem to have become less acquainted with my refrigerator and more familiar with my calculator.  Counting the cost has become a dance with pennies that awaits every other bite of food.  “If I eat this now, will I have enough for dinner?”  “How much is a cup of flour again?”

The habit of adding in the cost of an item surfaced at the most impacting time yesterday.  I was in the worship service at Brazos.  During the time of communion I looked at the juice and the bread (they come prepackaged together).  I figured that since I was taking communion during both hours of worship, that would be 2 prepackaged cups at .23 cents apiece for a grand total of .46 cents of the $2 I had for the day.  Of course that was an expense worth the cost but it came to mind that God intended those items as a prepaid gift.  So I let God pay the price for something I couldn’t afford.  Hmmm, that sounds really familiar.

“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 6:22-23 (NIV)

Well day 2 & 3 went about the same physically.  But of course that is the simple obstacle to deal with.  Wrestling with the different attitudes and perspectives that come from going without seem to take this to another level.  I have been considering how I can carry this beyond this coming Wednesday when the official stop date arrives.  How can I continue to be more mindful and helpful to the plight of those in need?  Then this perspective popped up.  If I were in their life situation and the $2 a day were a more permanent condition, would God give me a pass on generosity and giving to others?  So now I am trying to think of a way to give away some of my remaining $6 and live on less.

What an amazing day of the challenge.  It didn’t take long to realize that my heart and mind had made a decision without consulting my body.  My body wanted a re-vote.  I heard my stomach growl for the first time in a long time.  Sadly enough it wasn’t because I had not had enough to eat but rather because I am accustomed to eating more than I need.  There was a little bit of a headache as my caffeine fix provided daily by my coffee pusher was not affordable on the $2.  Of course I could have opted for the coffee but then there would be no food for the rest of the day.  This really struck me funny since the coffee was one of my first concerns, as with everyone I have told about the challenge (participants and non).  What struck me funny is that many of the people in other countries who live on almost nothing will in some cases have a bountiful supply of coffee.  They just can’t sell enough of it for a profit to feed their families.

I guess the one illuminating truth that has risen to the surface so far, is how easily the blessing of abundance can drown out the voice of patient endurance and the character that can be forged as a result.  Many times having to wait can illuminate a path or choice that is quickly passed over if the prepackaged option is always available.  James writes, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Ironic, huh?  The willingness to lack something makes me into the man who lacks nothing.

It is hard to imagine something having such an impact long before it begins.  The simple act of planning to eat on $2 a day for only 7 days has openned my eyes to one of the many challenges so many parents and children are going to bed with tonight.  I am excited to see what God is going to do on my heart and attitude by this time next Wednesday.  For those of you who have the opportunity to join in this quest, I am looking forward to your thoughts, feelings and especially your menu.  I have the "oatmeal" corner covered.  What else do you have?

My kickoff meal:  Oatmeal, 2 pieces of toast from homemade bread & milk (.47)