MPA: Meal Planning Addict

I am in charge of the food around here.  Because I am an overachiever and type A to the hilt, I try to plan meals by recipes and shop only for what we “need.”  I try to shop 1-2 times a month.  I do this for good reasons: to save money – when I’m focused I don’t buy silly stuff.  I like to have ingredients on hand so that when Brian is home early enough, he can the recipe and take over.  It also helps us to avoid excessive amounts of Cream of Whatever in the pantry.  And it helps to avoid that “Oh shoot!  I forgot the green onions!”

But I need to confess something:  I am a meal planning addict.  Even now, I am cooking my chicken in the crock pot for tomorrow night’s soup.  I put it in the minute I got home tonight at 8:30 before putting my kids to bed after a late night on campus.  I think ahead 3 or 4 days about what we are going to eat when.  I wonder when I’m going to cook what ahead of time and if the green peppers will last that long and if that sour cream in the back of the fridge will last and if I bought enough milk and rats, I did NOT buy enough apples this month…Hmmm, that chicken is starting to smell good!

I believe I come from a long-line of meal planners.  Vacations, summer meals at the cabin and holiday dinners are planned in advance.  It is in my gene pool (right Mom?).

I think I feel secure knowing when the next meal is coming.  There is something satisfying  knowing what’s coming next.  It gives me something to look forward to and to do, I guess (because I am out of something to do?).

But…Jesus reminds us He is the Bread of Life.  He is enough.  Do I really see Him as He is?  Or do I fill myself with so many other things, like planning the next meal?