John 6:35
Then Jesus declared, 'I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
Food is foundational. It is necessary for survival, but the amount of joy it can bring is limitless. On the worst of days, the gift of a cupcake or coffee can bring a glimmer of joy. A snack has a way of flipping your mood from hangry to happy. Here are a few ways that food has shown up throughout the past school year:
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The abundance of Koinonia snacks
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Grilled cheese made on a griddle brought from home
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Ice cream cake to celebrate the end of an AP class
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Homemade sourdough bread
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Boxes of food collected for Christmas families
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Lettuce and basil grown in my classroom grow tower
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An impromptu finals review week party with homemade ham & cheese sliders, cream cheese danishes, and cookies.
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Mom squad meals before parent-teacher conferences
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Snacks for teacher appreciation week
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Foods classes sharing pasta, quiche, salads, and cookies
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Department lunches to begin and end the year
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Cans of food collected for Canstruction & Community Harvest Food Bank
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The gift of a homemade meal
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Dinner with friends after school
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Team meals before a game
In the same way we reach for a snack to ease our physical hunger, we can reach for the Word for a “spiritual snack” to help keep that vessel full since we cannot live on bread alone (Matthew 4:4).
Lord,
As we enter the season of summer break, may each meal that we eat remind us that you are the Bread of Life. Help us to use food as a gift to bring joy, a comfort for those who are struggling, and a tool to help us grow in all aspects of our lives. Let us not see the daily grind of making dinner as a burden, but as an opportunity to make connections with our family and friends. Grant us hearts that seek you on a daily basis to fill up on spiritual food that will sustain us for eternity.
Amen