Friday, September 11, 2009

Lesson from Egusi Soup

Every year six million children die from malnutrition before their fifth birthday...

More than 800 million people go to bed hungry every day, 300 million are children.
Of these 300 million children, only eight percent are victims of famine or other emergency situations. More than 90 percent are suffering long-term malnourishment and micronutrient deficiency...

http://cozay.com/


Such headlines did not move me. Even if I did give to causes to help save poverty, it was most likely because I had something to give away, not out of love and compassion. It is hard to be empathetic, especially when you are not the one wearing the shoes.

One weekend, I prepared fresh, delicious egusi soup (melon soup). I had 3-days old egusi soup in my fridge but I was not about to “contaminate” the fresh soup so I decided to pour the old one away. Just when I was about to throw it into the dustbin, a long buried scene surfaced in my memory.

It was Friday evening. There were little remains of the 6-day egusi soup, which I kept for myself and my mother who would be returning late from work that Friday. When she got home and asked for soup, I realized that the soup was too small for both of us to share. I poured water to increase the quantity. It became too watery. So I decided to add garri to the soup to give it weight. In my naivety, I did not know that the garri will coagulate in the hot soup. By the time I was to serve the soup, it was no longer soup. It was hard garri coloured with egusi and leaves. Garri-Egusi cake – in summary.

It was not edible. Mother and I went to bed hungry that night, looking forward to Saturday when we will have the next meal…


I stood by my cooker and wept. I looked at the soup I was about to throw away. If only mother and I had seen something like that then, we would not have gone to bed hungry. I wept as I realized how easily I forgot where I was coming from. I realized how wasteful I had become. I realized that there are indeed hungry people in our world. I realized that I (or any of my family) could have been part of the statistics if not for the love of God. Suddenly, my heart feels compassion for those in need.

Beloved, nothing is a waste, especially food. What you do not want, someone else will need.

Do take out time to find out whose life you can make a difference in with your food, money, clothes, or whatever you have, no matter how little. There are ministries, foundations, NGOs where you can sow into. As as you sow, may you reap a thousand fold and lack no good thing, in Jesus name, Amen.

Do not despise the days of your small beginnings [Zechariah 4:10]. And though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would greatly increase [Job 8:7].
Have a blessed weekend ahead.

Please join me in celebrating 16 years in memorial

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Its VERY easy to get desensitized to the pain next door... thanks for bringing it home again...

jhazmyn said...

Would look out for how i can touch someones life this weekend...we need these reminders daily...somehow, we seem to forget sometimes as Bagucci said

Blogoratti said...

A little can go a long way..thanks for the reminder.
Have a great month!

olusimeon said...

hmmm...serious lesson o..from egusi soup.thanks for this reminder..

bumight said...

I am more than guilty. God forgive me!

Giagerry said...

ok lemme first laff at the egusi/garri thing...loool...rita wat wer u thinkin ooo.lol!
ok now to serious, me too i kno im guilty, but everyday i try my best to be less wasteful, not to blow my own horn...but i kno i have gotten better small small...
still learning!

good lesson for me!
hey rita...habe a lovely weekend!

Enkay said...

I'm learning this lesson too. I used to be so wasteful of food but not anymore.

The garri-egusi soup stunt was funny. lol!

16 years in memory of who? I clicked the link but there was nothing there just the title.

Blessing said...

wow that was deep...def an eye opener...we should never forget where we came from! Thanks i needed that

The Activist said...

Hmmm life is full of lessons...

Anoda Phase said...

very good reminder...even very little can go a long, long way...

that ur garri-egusi-cake na wah oh...ur mum should have made u eat it, as punishment for waste...lol.

Buttercup said...

I guess we all needed this reminder. May God help us. I'm sorry once again for your loss. Keep the wonderful memories alive!

Anonymous said...

i never finish a meal...and my mom used to tell me this all the time.

James said...

Shocking statistics.How easily i forget.Will be more concious henceforth.Thanks for sharing.

Red Sapphire said...

hi rita.bn a year long

Geebee said...

This post strikes right at the heart. I hope the lord forgives me for my wastefulness and my nonchalant nature about the needs of others who have nothing while I enjoy. True, we need to be more open to the cries and needs of others and eve when we cannot reach them physically, we can remember them in our thoughts and prayers.

David C Brown said...

Psalm 112 say, "He scattereth abroad, he giveth to the needy; his righteousness abideth for ever..." I think that means that to give to the poor is simply the righteous thing to do.

Zayzee said...

i just read the sept 11 story from last year and wondered how i could have missed that.
Rita I'm so glad that God has really stood by u and ur family. U r enough testimony for anyone who doubts God.

as for wasting, you are right. most of us waste alot, never thinking how helpful it will be to others.

the day i had the accident, I was on my way to church with a cooler full of rice to share with my department people in church. the food never got to church cos of the accident. shared most with my neighbours. by the next morning, the rest was spoilt. and i put it all in a big nylon and threw it away. less than an hour later, the nylon and rice was gone from the bin. in my sadness and all, i knew the children who roamed around picking our waste, whose mother we think is mentally disturbed, had taken the spoilt rice. I felt really terrible.

Kafo said...

6 millions kids a year
hmmm

i have gotten used to seeing the homeless at the corner of 45 and Scott, i barely wince
and then yesterday i paid close attention but looked away before their eyes met mine

~Sirius~ said...

*WOW*

Can't get my head around your memorial.

*I'm speechless.