By Annette McEndarfer
There is so much value in our food. It’s just like the Father to provide us with everything we need and He does so in amazing ways.
It would take volumes of books to write about the advantages of having a well-stocked kitchen and I know that too much information can be overwhelming. So here’s my challenge to you:
Look around your kitchen . . .
Pray: Ask the Lord to show you what’s already there that can be more beneficial than you realized. I’ve always been inspired by George Washington Carver who took a peanut, went into his laboratory, and asked God to show him the value of the peanut. His discoveries there have been commended for having a part in saving the south.
Consider: You have things available in your kitchen whether you shop day to day or, as I do, once a month. Make a written or mental note of those items. Also think about your automatic reaction to symptoms . . . do you already have foods that you go to or crave, or do you head for the medicine cabinet?
Investigate: Apple cider vinegar, baking soda, olive oil, coconut oil, garlic, ginger. Those may be things that you already have on hand like we do. Are you aware of their healing properties? Even if you don’t use them in your day-to-day cooking, they may be worth having on hand for medicinal purposes. These are just a few of the items that we regularly go to for health issues. There are many others, but this is a good place to start.
Implement: Begin adding to your healing arsenal one item at a time. Get familiar with that item, watching how it works, and then add another slowly, so they become a regular part of your thinking and response.
Altering our thinking takes time and work. My first aid kit looks very different today than it did when I got married twenty-four years ago. In fact, it’s no longer just a little box—though I do still have one with Band-Aids, alcohol, peroxide, tweezers, scissors, bandages, etc.—but the entire kitchen. We no longer think “call the doctor” first when there’s a physical problem. Instead we ask, “What can we do?” Usually our solution comes from the kitchen. This type of thinking has saved us time, money, and a multitude of side effects that often come from modern medicine.
It takes me a while to truly incorporate new things into my routine. When I am good I make a tonic of apple cider vinegar and black strap molasses and sip a little each morning. It’s great for sluggishness and circulation. I’ve gotten out of the habit and need to start again. Writing this spurs me on and I hope it does you too.
To read this series from the beginning, click here.
With more than twenty years of homeschooling under her belt, Annette McEndarfer continues to teach her seven children on their small homestead in northern Maine where she also has the privilege of investing in the lives of other ladies.
