Share Your Passion | Eat With Joy | Gabrielle

Oh man.  All the things I could say about this girl.  Gabrielle and I met two years ago when I interviewed to be a prayer leader on her hall.  I instantly loved her quirkiness, sense of humor, and love for the Lord.  Second semester of last year, we became roommates.  Just a couple weeks into being roommates and ministry partners, we labeled ourselves the dream team.  We just had a jive that seemed to work perfectly in being roommates and in our ministry responsibilities.  Gabs quickly became one of my very best friends.  She loves sweet potatoes, Adventures in Odyssey, elderly people, and ASL.  From joking and giggling about boys, to dancing around our room to Hillary Duff, to farmer's market dates, to heart-to-hearts, this girl gets me.  She's carefree, bold, and loving.  She has truly taught me what it means to speak the Truth in love, which is something I value in friendships.  She is a constant encouragement and support to me and I couldn't imagine these last two years without her.

What am I passionate about? Well that's easy! I'm passionate about The Lord and what He has created. The Lord gave us the earth to rule over and subdue (have dominion over) (Genesis 1:28) and I believe that is both a calling and a command. It is provision by God that the earth and all that comes from it can meet our needs for food, water, shelter and clothing (all our basic needs). Not only will The Lord provide all our needs (Philippians 4:19) He has already done so through the creation of this place we call our temporary home.

The command: We are supposed to rule over the earth. The earth is a lesser creation than humans because it has no soul and was not created in God's image. God granted man dominion over plants and animals (not the other way around), so it is our duty to fulfill our needs with them. What does that mean exactly? It means EAT! It means to thank The Lord for the blessing of provision by consuming that which He has given us. It means we should not be afraid to hunt for our dinner or pierce the soil with a spade and drop a couple seeds in the hole. It means to pick fruit off the trees and allow our bodies to be nourished by them. It means to go fishing and enjoy the bounty. This is a command we can take pleasure in as we seek to enjoy the bounty of the earth with the people around us we are blessed to called family and friends. We often gather together over food, so may we remember each time we do that we are acting in accordance with God’s command to eat what He has provided. Therefore, eat with JOY!

The calling: This is a beckon for STEWARDSHIP. The Lord did not say to “over-plant” and “over-eat” and succumb to our gluttonous hearts. The Lord speaks to the foolishness of gluttony and the wisdom of stewardship many times in scripture. What does practicing stewardship of the earth mean? It means to till the ground, plant the seeds, grow the things our bodies need. It also means supporting others who are doing the same. It means local and sustainable farming. It means eating organic and in season fruits and veggies. It means being kind to the earth so the next generation may also have good things to eat. In this "disposable" world we live in it is easy to think that it is our right to have everything we want and plenty of it. Indeed The Lord created the world to provide ENOUGH for everyone to be filled properly. The blame certainly does not fall on The Lord for any shortage in food or "need" that we feel to manufacture nutrient replacements to make up for those lost in processing. No, the blame falls on us for not sustaining the earth's resources and the bounty God gave us for survival.

 

My passion is "the call;” the call to be wise and sustain the earth as an act of worship to the God who cares and provides.