This is the final of a series of Mary and Martha Moments designed to encourage you on your walk toward Christian stewardship in the kitchen.

Part One:  Trust in the Promise of your Meal Blessing
Part Two:  Baby Steps
Part Three:  Soul First, Body Second

Most of us wouldn’t go for a ride in a vehicle without buckling our children in safely. But I’m willing to wager that all of us drive vehicles, in spite of the frightening statistics of how easy it is to get killed in one of them.  We calculate the risk vs. the benefits.  We need not sit at home in fear and do nothing because we might enter into mortal peril in our mini-vans.  On the other hand, we’re not going to drive 100 mph just for the fun of it with our babies strapped in the car.  Each kitchen decision is similar.  What can my family handle in small, regulated amounts? What is the best choice of those available to me based on my budget and time in the kitchen?  What will cause a potentially great deal of harm to my family or my ecosystem that would be simple to avoid?  How can I get one step closer to the safest option?

The key to answering all these questions and any risk analysis is actually so simple:  prayer.  Yes, we can pray about the little things we do in our kitchens.  “God, should I buy Michigan apples (local) or organic apples (from across the country) for $0.40 more?”  Do you think He doesn’t want to hear from us when we’re standing in the grocery store?  Our Lord cares about every hair on our head, every bird in the field.  Of course He wants us to come to Him when we’re trying to do our best (but aren’t always sure where to start) in feeding our families and taking care of our earth.

I encourage you:  pray while you shop.  Pray while you meal plan.  Pray while you prepare meals.  Pray before you eat them.  Pray about budget decisions big and small.  Pray for self-discipline and grace to do better at each opportunity.  Pray that the potentially harmful things won’t have a huge effect on your family.  Pray that you can get your kids to eat healthy food…at least most of the time.

Is it possible to give a child a sucker for dessert and say a prayer to his guardian angel that the sugar not harm his body or learning or sleep too very much?  I think so.  I think so.  Can we serve a dinner of candy, cookies and ice cream and say the same prayer?  I don’t think so - we wouldn’t jump off the roof of a 5-story building and pray not to get hurt, but we do get into vehicles, cross roads, and send our kids out to play…and accept the risk, trusting God (and sometimes saying a prayer) for safety.  Just remember:  everything in moderation…except prayer.  You can’t get too much of the good stuff!

I am a guest lecturer and partner with GNOWFGLINS eCourses, so I will earn commission from any sales made starting here. Of course, the courses are also an awesome way to learn to cook real food, so I’d gab about them anyway.