31 Mar Rice & Beans In Perspective

For all of us, the month began with a plate of rice and beans, but we hope your experience doesn’t end there. Below, guest blogger Nina Horn shares how this month has shaped her family and broadened their perspective. How has this month impacted you? Share your story with us at info@eatriceandbeans.com

Rice & Beans in Perspective
By Nina Horn

I love that Rice & Beans Month is an invitation to perspective taking — the ability and willingness to consider what it’s like to be in the shoes of another. The kind of awareness that evokes empathy and compassion, and blurs the lines of “us and them.”

The Horns start up (and finish off) the month with a plate of rice and beans.

We began the month with high expectations of rice and beans for every meal, kids included! I knew I would be making pbjs for lunch at some point during the month, but it didn’t hurt to hit the ground running.  I thought a lot about what this experience would be like for our kids, and what I wanted it to mean to them. I want my children to do justly and love mercy, to love with passion as Jesus loves them, and to take action. As parents, we feel the tension of wanting to stretch our children beyond their comfort zones, asking them to step outside of themselves and sacrifice some of their pleasures to help those who lack the simple necessities to sustain life. And we are also aware that there is some unknown line out there, that when crossed, changes our invitation and guidance into a requirement of rules without grace and joy. Or worse, evokes shame or guilt. So this month, it’s been a dance of modeling sacrifice and including our children as we journey as a family, with joy, knowing and trusting that our children will willingly give as they are able.

Jude had leftover candy from Valentine’s Day when we began Rice & Beans Month. I don’t know that he will remember eating candy when he was “supposed to” be fasting from sugar, but I’m pretty sure he would remember, and perhaps not have had the joyful and celebratory spirit he has had this whole month, had I pulled the reigns on any simple pleasures. After all, he’s four. There have, however, been plenty of times when both my kids have taken one bite of their rice and beans at dinner, and then said “I’m done.” They have gone to bed hungry some of these nights and that’s okay, too.

The beauty of it all though, is that instead of drawing battle lines with our children about how many more bites of this or that they have to take, or why they can’t have a piece of cake at a community dinner, is that we can shift the focus off of our children and spend our efforts talking about our brothers and sisters in East Africa. Talking about our differences and commonalities, pondering about their life. Opening our awareness and inviting perspective, empathy, and compassion.

It’s because of these experiences that we see the love of God for us. And also see that same love burst forth from within our own hearts. Like when my son empties out his beloved treasure chest and exclaims, “I don’t need this! I want to give it to someone who doesn’t have any money!” Or when he implores me to write a “sad song” with him about people who don’t have homes, or money, or water.  Or when we realize that maybe our family can eat rice and beans more often throughout the year and share the savings by sponsoring a child. I can see the full circle now — perspective, compassion, action, justice, relationship, transformation.

And to think, it begins with a simple plate of rice and beans.