Do we teach our people how to feed themselves?

[Ambassador_of_Hope]

Day 7
Feed My Sheep

Do we teach our people how to feed themselves?

“What do we as leaders eat? To what sources do we return for our soul’s primary sustenance? Is our “diet”rich in God’s word? Are we as leaders good readers? Do we really study scripture and meditate on it daily relishing its insights and spiritual delicacies? What do we feed those we serve? Perhaps we do feed our people well, but do not teach them how to feed themselves.”

When I was young I was a very picky eater. My Mom was an excellent cook, but I had a sensitive palette and reacted to certain food textures. I had a number of intentional strategies to get out of eating everything on my plate. I would separate certain ingredients, typically vegetables I called “gookies,” the meat or carbohydrates served. One method to avoid consumption, was to fill my baked potato skins with the gookies and then ask to be excused from the table. When excused I would empty the remnants into the trash. If I was forced to eat anything repulsive to me, I would immediately start gagging and be on the verge of vomiting up the contents. Mom always backed off with an okay, forget it. The turning point for me was a road trip I took at age 18 to visit my great Uncle Lou in Wisconsin. In route, I stopped at the home of family friends in Ohio for overnight lodging and a chance to see a sixteen year old girl who was of interest to me. Supper was served and a dinner plate including abundant gookies lay before my fork and mouth. Pure pride made me place the food in my mouth, chew it thoroughly and then swallow. I exercised self-control, resisted gagging and to my surprise, lived through the ordeal. The same thing happened the following week at Uncle Lou and Alice’s house. That trip sent me on a new trajectory. Over time I learned to eat and eventually like gookies, which was and is the most nutritious of food served. At this point, I eat almost everything put before me and I also have a penchant to experiment with unknown and different cuisines.

As for my soul, I have been able to feed at a banquet table for over 40 years, starting with extended Bible reading on a bus to work in 1978. My reading has been voracious for a non pastor or non-academic type. The array of topics, venues and authors of books is significant. My reading preference includes books that are challenging, encourage marinations and provoke me to respond in writing. I also push myself to read authors and theologies I do not agree with and then wrestle with the differences. The book of Proverbs is like my old baseball mitt from childhood, worn, familiar and apart of my mind and soul. I can usually find what I am looking for in the Bible without using technology. I have memorized some key scriptures for daily use and also as a safeguard in the event bibles disappear or become scarce. I treasure the word of God and consider myself a rich man! In closing, the answer to the question above is no, I am not very effective at teaching people to feed themselves. How selfish of me. I am influencing some, but after reflecting on Feed My Sheep, I’m convinced there is much more I can and should do.

Dave Dassoulas
dave@hopebuilders.com