I Served Garbage for Breakfast

Earlier in the week I confessed I pick my scabs.
I have another confession to make.

I fed my kids and grandkids garbage for breakfast.

It wasn’t organic,
free range,
gluten-free,
or healthy.

It was just pure,
unadulterated,
delicious garbage.

Health conscience people are thinking,
“You DID NOT feed your kids that garbage!”

Sugar freaks are thinking,
“Momma Mindy, why didn’t you invite me to breakfast?

Since you are all judging me,
I know you are because I would be judging you
if I found out you fed your kids this garbage,
but hang with me.
I have a good reason.
A spiritual reason.

Proof.
I’m the worstest Gwamma in the whole wide world.

I’m the worstest Mommy in the whole wide world.

Look, an avid cereal box reader!
Wasn’t that one of the best parts of having what my kids wrongfully labeled
“the good cereal?”

Wheaties and Rice Krispies might taste good and be good for you,
but the boxes were boring.

Anyhoo, back to my true confession
and my spiritual reason.

This is My Romans 7 Rule.

The Law and Sin (New International Version)

⁵  …sinful passions are aroused by the law…

⁷  I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law.

¹⁵  what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

¹⁶ And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.

¹⁸ For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.  For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.

Confused?

Here’s the Momma Mindy Version:

People wanna’ do what they’re told not to do.
They know what’s right, but can’t do it on their own.

That’s why I had such a hard time coming up with
Rules for Our House.

Rules are good, but they do make people wanna’ break them.
Law incites riots, even around your dining room table.

So, I became tricky.

Instead of saying, “We’ll never drink soda again,”
I  stopped buying it.

My children weren’t warned about white bread,
it just stopped showing up.
First the bread became darker,
then the bagels and English muffins,
then the hot dog and hamburger buns.

Cereals gradually becamer nuttier, grainier and fibier,
(these are my new words for more grain and  fiber)
crackers and nuts replaced chips, and
dried fruit appeared in snack jars.

Romans 7 Rule – Section One

I never say never.

NEVER incites riots and longing of unbelievable proportions.
Even if they hated Captain Crunch before,
they CRAVE it the moment it’s banned.

Foods aren’t outlawed, they just aren’t purchased.
They’ll be served at homes of friends and relatives,
and I want them to eat what’s set before them with thankfulness.
(No food allergies in our family so we can do this.)

If we’re eating according to my standards at home,
but eat a few random hotdogs with nitrates
and Diet Cokes with McDonalds, it  won’t hurt them.

Romans 7 Rule – Section Two

Daddy Overrules Mommy’s Rule

Like many Dads, my hubby loves buying snacks and pop for our kids.
He even fed them cake for breakfast once.
Yes he did, and the kids still love gloating over this event.

I  don’t restrict my husband.
He respects and encourages the health changes,  and I let him randomly buy garbage.
It’s a good balance.

Romans 7 Rule – Section Three

Kids Can Never Say Never

Once my kids say
“I never”  I pay attention.

I learned long ago  Satan loves to wedge these words between kids and parents.

A new believer fervent for Jesus and the Bible,
I was working as a Resident Assistant in a college girls’ dorm.
When sharing my testimony with one of the residents,
she regretfully confessed she was raised in a Christian home.
Her whinings often began,
“I never got to…”
 

Her grievous  litany against her parents was long, and all the worldly things they faithfully
shielded and protected her from, she chased after.

There are some things, by the grace of God, I can never allow my children to do.
But, I know that too many “I nevers” can burden them with undue law.
So, if it isn’t a compromise to the Word of God, when I hear
“I NEVER”
I might do it once,
just so they don’t have so many
“I NEVERS.”

When my kids were feeling sad they NEVER had Easter baskets,
we celebrated Easter. We explained our reasoning why we didn’t,
but that it wasn’t sin to do so.

When my youngest daughter proclaimed,
“I’ve NEVER had Fruit Loops,”
I stepped into Romans 7 action.

Along with Fruit Loops, I bought others she’d NEVER tried.

Yep, I did, I served garbage for breakfast.

I can compromise on cereal,
because I will never compromise on the True Food,
the Word of God.