Food for Thought

Yesterday was the Angel Food pick up at the church. B and I have been getting Angel Food for a year and a half now. Aunt M heard about it and bought us a few boxes and it's been a regular event since June 2008. It's been the majority of my food budget. It's kept a variety of foods in my house, somethings I would not splurge on, other things I never would have thought to try because they weren't on the list of "staples" I usually work with. A few months we didn't have money for angel food. My Angel of an Aunt got us a box for October.

When B and I showed up for pick up, Bill's face lit up! Bill is a man who usually works the parking lot during the angel food pick up. He has been very kind over the past year we have been going to this church for food. Last January he encouraged me to sit in the car while B got the food. In February, pick up was a week after my liver biopsy. He again encouraged me to wait in the car. I stood outside like a trooper with everyone else though. When they continued telling me it was ok to sit in the car, I told them I was "allowed to be cold, I just couldn't lift anything." A lady gave me a hug and blessed me. They got some of the church youth to help B carry the food back to the car.

In March, my back went into spasms while standing in line. Bill saw me walking back to the car and came over to walk with me and stop traffic so I wouldn't have to wait long. He then spent the rest of the time we were there periodically looking over to make sure I was ok. I have thanked God so many times for having so many angels at the food pick ups. They truly move me every month I have gone there, many times to tears.

So last month when we showed up, Bill was so happy to see us again. He feared I had gotten sick or something bad had happened. When B said it was just because of lack of funds, Bill told us he wanted to talk to us after we picked up our food. After the pickup we parked over where Bill was in the parking lot. He came over and gave us the phone number for the food pantry and the clothing shop. He told us lack of money is no reason for us not to have food. He gave us his personal phone number and encouraged us to call him if we were short this month.

B called Bill two weeks ago. He asked what I wanted. I had been looking over and thought maybe a chicken box, maybe the veggie box, definitely the signature box. I told B to just ask for the signature box. Bill seemed shocked and said, "That's it?" I said well, I was looking at the chicken box, but the signature box is enough. Bill said ok, no problem, look for him when we get there and he'll set us up.

When we got there Saturday morning, Bill gave us a receipt for a signature box, a chicken box, and a fruit and veggie box. He said, "You have to have veggies to go with your meat." I thought I was going to cry right there. Bill assured us it was nothing to be ashamed of, and he reminded me once we're on our feet, we'll be able to give back. Pay it forward. Thank God!

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For a week now A has been telling me I need to be at the church at 2pm after the Angel Food pick up. She would not tell me why. B was off picking up his kids, so A picked me up to take me back. She finally cut the suspense for me. We were showing back up for the Thanksgiving dinner Emergency Food Relief distribution. Again, I nearly cried.

Last year, A showed up at the back door with grocery bags right before Thanksgiving. There was a Turkey, stuffing, green beans, all the fixings. I did cry. I was so grateful and thankful to have such people in my life. I must have done something right for God to bless me with them.

This year, funds are tight seemingly everywhere. A said simply, "I couldn't afford two Thanksgiving dinners this year, so I got help!" God sends angels...