It's Friday... but Saturday's coming!

One more sleep and I'll be free to choose what I eat and drink :o)  On my way to work this morning I was pondering what I'd change another time, thinking about what I'd missed the most.  I had to stop before the thought of toast and marmalade drove me nuts!

This has been such an interesting week on so many levels.  I've read about it, seen the photos in the press, seen the TV coverage, heard about poverty first hand from people out there, working amongst the poorest of the poor, but taking this tiny step into someone else's shoes and sharing their experience in a small way, has given me a much better idea of what it must be like to live in poverty through circumstance rather than choice.  It's brought me face to face with my own plenty too.

I'm beginning to love foraged-mint tea!

At the beginning of the year I was particularly challenged by what Gerard Kelly calls Christ's 'Message of the Mountain', the beatitudes. He calls it the heartbeat of Christ. 

In my journal for 8th January I've written "Blessed are the poor, the hungry, the oppressed.  I am none of these by circumstance, but if this is the very heart of Christ's plan for humanity then he calls me to choose these things.  To stand side by side with those who are poor, hungry and oppressed.  I'm afraid to look too closely!" 

I hadn't linked that time with Living Below the Line until just now when I started writing this blog.  Now, looking back through the pages of my journal I can see how God has answered my prayers - like this one "Father, give me courage.  Thank you for the comfort of my life... give me a brave heart that is willing to be open and vulnerable.  Show me how you want to bless the world in and through me."  Amazing. 

Truly, spending £1 a day on food and drink for just five days is not much more than a drop in the ocean of poverty.  But it's changed me.  It's raised over £500 for others (thank you chums).  And from the messages I've had it seems it's changed you too.

Bring it on!