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.