Devotion in Motion: A good meal

9 He who has a generous eye will be blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor.

Proverbs 22:9 (NKJV)

By Bro. John L. Cash, “Country Preacher Dad”

Things have been very busy here. My wife Susan had “female surgery” (complete with bikini incision) two weeks ago, and it has brought domestic work in our house to a standstill. The doctor says that she has to take it easy and not lift anything over 10 pounds for 6 weeks. She’s being a good patient.

I’ve been married to Susan for almost a quarter of century, and this is the first time I’ve ever seen her laid low for any period of time by a medical condition. I’ve always said that she is the kind of woman who would have thrived in the frontier times. I mean, if she got shot with an arrow, she would just break it off, mutter “I’ll take care of that later,” drink a cup of coffee and finish mopping the floor. And she gets her housework done quickly. My Grandma Davis said that Susan’s habits reminded her of the way my Grandma Cash washed dishes: “Those two wash the dishes fast. There may be soapsuds on the ceiling, but, by golly, they get it done fast!”

People who know us always laugh at how Susan and I live our lives at totally opposite speeds. She lives her life in overdrive, and I kind of move steadily, always in 2nd gear. (Susan would say I move steadily in 1st gear.) That’s the way that the Lord puts good marriages together. Most of the time, married people are opposites. But, they are opposites like a pair of gloves—perfectly reversed, but making a complete set.

I’ve been trying to keep the house picked up, the dishes washed, and the laundry caught up—because if things aren’t straight, well, then Susan is tempted to mess with them, and she’s not supposed to do that. It hasn’t been too bad, because we have a washing machine and a dishwasher, and they really simplify the matter. But the greatest blessing that I’ve had, the thing that has made everything run so smoothly, is the fact that my church members are bringing us meals. We’ve had such a variety of foods, nutritious and delicious, and there’s always enough to microwave for lunch the next day. May God richly bless all the people who have been so good to us!

Will you bless someone with a meal this week? It may seem like a very small thing, but take it from somebody who knows, it means the universe when times are stressful. Over the decades I’ve seen Susan prepare hundreds of meals for others, but I never realized what a help it is until now. And something I’ve learned from Susan is that it doesn’t have to be anything fancy. When the pace is leisurely she prepares a regular meal, but when she is pressed for time she picks up pizzas at the one mom-and-pop store in our little town, and delivers them with beverages and a dessert. (Families with children seem to particularly enjoy that.)

Today’s Scripture lesson (at the top) says that the Lord will bless those who are generous in sharing food with those in need. Dear mamas, who will you share with this week? I guarantee you’ll feel happier when you’re a blessing to others—and the Lord has promised His blessing, too.

Dr. John L. Cash is the “Country Preacher Dad.” He was raised in Stuttgart, Arkansas, and is enjoying his 25th year of being a country preacher in the piney woods five miles south of the little town of Hickory, Mississippi. He and his lovely wife, Susan, and his sons, Spencer (age 18) and Seth (age 15) live in the parsonage next door to the Antioch Christian Church, where the Preacher’s wife says she is getting tired of being an “invalid.” 🙂 You should write him at extramailbox@juno.com.