(Disclaimer... before reading this, please, please, please read Jen Hatmaker's post In the Basement.
Please. I don't care where you stand of the Chick-fil-a controversy. If you are a human, you need to read it. Now. Go...)
My family is no stranger to Chick-fil-a campouts.
We love them. They are fun and crazy and sometimes hard, but always worth it.
Last week we spent a better part of a day preparing for one.
Jason put a vacation day request in at work.
We packed the car. PACKED.
If you have ever gone camping, you know that it pretty much takes the same amount of work, gear and prep, regardless of if your stay will be one night or one week. The only thing that changes is the food.
A heck of a lot of stuff.
We woke up in the dark, and headed out.
Us and 350 some other crazy people.
Sad, sleepy, Shane tucked into the Ergo.
Nervous excitement as we each were handed a ticket for the raffle.
Scanning the crowd, we knew our odds were not great.
But I had faith. I hoped upon hope that either my ticket or Jason's would be picked.
One by one, each number was called.
We cheered and screamed when it was someone from our group.
Fifty were picked.
Then 75.
Then 95.
My hope stood firm.
I awaited my numbers.
100.
Still not picked.
On to the alternates.
We were not among them
No chicken for us.
I was fine. Happy for our friends that were chosen.
Sort of happy that I wouldn't have to sleep in a hot parking lot.
We walked back to our cars.
Jason ended up going into work anyway.
I went home to unpack.
My peace about the situation dissipated. My disappointment set in. I let myself wallow in it for a bit.
Convinced myself that we deserved to be picked.
How much we needed to be picked.
In this time of extremely limited "fun" money, and with the days of all the kids sharing one meal long gone, going out to eat together has become a rare luxury.
I wasted away the day with a raincloud over my head.
Dumb. So very dumb.
My whole life is really a luxury. The fact that we still have tickets leftover from previous campouts is a luxury.
The simple truth that we have never, ever, ever, for a single day gone hungry, is a luxury.
Yes, we didn't get picked. Yes, it is in my nature to be disappointed.
But it is in God's nature to see past our small, silly, sadness and to enable us to look beyond our circumstances.
People are legitimately starving all over the world.
Hope for Sudan has a plan to help remedy that need.
My heart breaks. My heart wants to help.
Thank you so very much for your hearts to help.
They are halfway to their goal.
Our God is the God of hope.
His love never fails, it never gives up, it never runs out.
(Two new printables are available in the shop.
Each one feeds 83 people.
Even better than a year of free Chick-fil-a.)
(P.S. If you want to leave a comment about Chick-fil-a no matter which side you are on, I will delete it. This is not the place or the post for that. I'm in the basement.)