Day Five

I am hours away from ending my 5 day "beans and rice challenge." The obvious question is, "how do I feel?" Physically, I feel fine. I've lost about 6 lbs., but that really wasn't the point. Did I ever get really hungry? Not really. Despite how much I normally eat, 3 cups of food is apparently enough for me... Did I experience caffeine withdrawal? Surprisingly not. That was what I was most concerned about. On a normal day, I can drink a pot of coffee and a couple of Mnt. Dews. I had a slight headache a couple of times, but not bad at all.

So, what was the toughest challenge? Temptation! Being surrounded by food and simply denying yourself is no simple task. I was an exhibitor at a Chamber Expo on Wednesday. The booth right next to mine was a local Country Club, with the Chef cooking up Steak Diane all day with a chocolate mousse to boot. That was one of about half a dozen booths featuring what appeared to be very tasty food.

Ok, so what is the point? The point is, I have choices. You have choices. Anyone who reads this blog is one of the most fortunate people on planet earth. Billions, yes with a B are not that fortunate. The have no choice. One cup of rice a day would be "Steak Diane" for them. Two cups and they have chocolate mousse. Three cups a day and THEY think that they are the fortunate ones! Was I able to empathize with the poorest of the poor? Barely! I can hardly imagine what it is like to drink dirty water and/or go for days or weeks at a time HUNGRY. I mean REALLY HUNGRY. My little exercise doesn't even come close.

So what? Here is what I would encourage you to do. Try it yourself. One week, one cup of rice or beans for each meal. No treats. No Snacks. Wash it all down with tap water. No Starbucks. No bottled water. RICE, BEANS, Water. That's it! THEN pick your favorite aid organization and GIVE! Give generously! Give regularly! Just GIVE!

If you don't know who to give to, contact your local church. I don't know of a single church that does not support some sort of global poverty initiative. If your not the church type, contact World Vision, ONE, Feed My Starving Children or any credible organization focus on aid to the starving.

Day Two

Today is day two of my "rice and beans" challenge. No, I'm not on a diet, though it wouldn't hurt me if I was. I am experiencing the "5-Day Challenge" a week later than everyone else at Willow Creek Community Church.

It is actually rather interesting for me. I just return from a week-long conference at the Omni Mandalay Hotel in Las Colinas, TX. For those of you that have been there, it is a pretty nice place. Not a 5 star joint but very comfortable. Six days of "conference food" and dinners out on the town. For those of you that do the conference circuit, you know that unless you are ill, you never lose weight on road.

At any rate, in stark contrast to what I did last week, this is what I am doing this week.

"As an act of solidarity with our brothers and sisters around the globe, we encourage you to eat for five days, as the bottom economic half of the world does every day. Eat the three meals of your day using only the options below. Set aside the money you would have spent on additional groceries, and donate it to Celebration of Hope, which will support those who struggle with hunger and thirst.

Meal Options:
Plain oatmeal or Cream of Wheat
A tortilla, rice, and beans
Rice with bits of fish or chicken, and a vegetable
Tap water (use your Celebration of Hope cup)

Food Portions:
Portion sizes around the world are much smaller than a typical American meal. One cup or eight ounces is a generous portion. Meat is a luxury, with the average African consuming about ¾ ounce per day—the size of a small chicken nugget. Fresh fruit is rare, available only if locally grown and in season.
While these meals seem small by American standards, they actually represent diets in the broad middle when compared to the rest of the world. Half the world’s population lives on no more than $2 a day. Approximately 1 billion people live on even less—only $1 per day."

I don't want to minimize the reality of hunger, but I do want to point out that the greatest challenge I faced yesterday was that of temptation. On day one, hunger was never an issue. I expected a bit of a headache from caffeine withdrawal, but I was never really hungry. Chocolate in the bowl, cake in the tray, left over pizza in the fridge. That is what really challenged me, not eating what is so freely available.

I'm sure that by then end of the week, my body will be reacting a little differently. I'm confident that in some small way, I will begin to appreciate what true hunger feels like. But if I don't. If I never hear my stomach growl of feel faint or weak. If I stay the course and honor the challenge, one thing will happen for sure. I will be victorious. Victorious over temptation. Victorious over self-indulgence.

And how long do you think that will last? An hour? A day? A week? Let us not forget how blessed we are. HE has provided it all. HE offers me choices that others simply don't have. HE requires me to steward effectively all that HE has given me.