We have been asking local bakeries and buying 5 and 6 gallon food-grade buckets with self-sealing lids to store food staples. On Saturday, we went up to Costco and bought 50 pound bags of sugar and rice and a 25 pound bag of salt. We will be buying 50 pound bags of whole wheat and white flour from Wheat Montana (probably the most premium flour in the U.S. for its high protein content and the grower's "better than organic" farming methods). We might even buy 50 pounds of whole grain and a grain mill. We're going to get some sort of dried bean mixture, and continue to freeze fresh meats, etc. as we go.
I really struggled with this for a while. I felt that we weren't trusting in the Lord's provision, and that somehow we were not living faithfully:
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal... Matthew 6:19
Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and {yet} your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a {single} hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is {alive} today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, {will He} not much more {clothe} you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:26 - 34
But then I started to think about the way that the Lord provides: through a paycheck, knowledge of world events, the wisdom of friends, etc. I don't believe that Jesus was telling us to just stop cooking meals because the Lord would drop manna from Heaven. He provides in ways through work. Think about Adam: he was given the job of caring for the Garden of Eden. Before the Fall. Work is good, and planning is important. The Lord gave Joseph special knowledge through dreams warning him of famine in the years ahead. He stored up plenty of food to provide for Egypt and his family.
I'd love to hear your thoughts: criticism? suggestions? ideas?
3 comments:
Where did you get the Montana Wheat and what makes it better then organic? Inquiring minds want to know!
Darcy
I used to buy it directly from www.wheatmontana.com. In fact, Joy B. and myself used to pool our order and split the shipping. However recently, they just started imposing a $50 minimum order PLUS the shipping. The shipping on $50 worth of flour would be horrendous. However, we found a local grocery store that is able to order it special for us, so we don't have to pay shipping! They will just get from the local commercial distributor. Whooppee!!!
My parents, in Washington State, can get it in their local grocery stores, and as far west as Spokane, WA (on the Idaho border) there is a retail outlet and bakery/deli. I'm hoping they start moving south.
"Better than organic" is their terminology. It's actually very interesting to read about on their website. Here's what they say:
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What is the difference between the “Organic Certification” and Wheat Montana's “Chemical Free Status”?
Wheat Montana’s products are not “certified organic”, however grains grown on our farm are “chemical/pesticide free” proven via an independent lab test for 125 different Herbicides, Organochlorine, and Organophosphorus Pesticides, as well as Semi-volatile organics. Organic farming procedures benefit both the consumer and the environment. Wheat Montana Farms believes in the value of organic farming but we take our process one step further and subject our products to a final chemical analysis to ensure that you are getting exactly what you want, clean, fresh, wholesome, chemical free, grains! In order for us to produce “certified organic” wheat berries, Wheat Montana Farms must use “natural fertilizer or manure” (cow, sheep, chicken, etc). Since our products go directly from the field to the table with no irradiation or pasteurization, we are concerned about the possibility of cross contamination from virulent bacteria. We do not, at this current time, use animal manure in order to eliminate any possibility of cross contamination for our customers. WE DO NOT USE G.M.O. (GENETICALLY MODIFIED) VARIETIES OF ANY KIND. NO G.M.O.!!
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The link to the above quote is here: http://www.wheatmontana.com/faqs.php
Hmmm...one scripture that comes to mind is Prov 22:3 - "The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it."
You can apply that different ways. I can't say that I'm storing up on bulk goods, but I've been expecting this kind of economic news since July 2007, and so I've made other decisions to prevent certain types of trouble that one can avoid with some prayerful forethought.
Hope all is well with you guys!
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