I really enjoy my favorite bowl of cereal and milk for breakfast. I would have to say Honey Nut Cheerios and Raisin Bran are my favorites. In fact, some people go to great lengths to procure their favorite cereal. At my brother’s military retirement party, he shared a story of how he was able to obtain his favorite cereal, Lucky Charms. Something about being air-freighted by the pilots coming from support bases to forward bases during his tours in Afghanistan. He would not divulge the details since it was classified. There was even some cereal trading as if it was some sort of black-market commodity. I guess being a Colonel has its perks.

On a recent Saturday morning I was preparing a meal for a leadership training meeting at church. As I opened the kitchen fridge there were so many jugs of milk, it’s a wonder the door would even close. I also saw more boxes of cereal stacked on the counter as if I was at the local HEB cereal aisle.

Admittedly my first thought was, well that’s just great, where am I going to put my food.

I soon remembered what this was for. On any given Saturday at AUMC, you can find a group of dedicated folks bagging up essential food stuffs for families in our community. Saturday’s Child is wonderful ministry that AUMC supports. Church volunteers deliver groceries to families in need. Cereal, milk and other foods to cover the weekend are a godsend to these families.

My favorite cereal swimming in a large bowl of milk is something I take for granted every morning at my house, not so for many families in our own community. A bowl of cereal is literally a lifeline. Hunger does not recognize the days of the week.

Next time you enjoy your favorite bowl of cereal remember that some young boy or girl in our very own zip code will have the same smile you have on any given Saturday thanks to a group of dedicated AUMC-ers.

“Christ has no body on earth but yours; no hands but yours; no feet but yours; Yours are the eyes through which you are to look out Christ’s compassion to the world; Yours are the feet with which he is to go about doing good; Yours are the hands with which he is to bless now (St. Teresa de Avila).”

Peace,

Kenny Shortsleeve, Lay Leader