As a former third world resident who now lives as a first world parent with kids, I get really disappointed (and a little irritated) when my kids sometimes complain about the food we give them to eat.

But whether they don’t like the way the food smells, looks, or tastes, we make our kids eat what’s on their plate.

Why?  Because we want them to show respect for the people who worked to make money, used that money to go to the store to buy the ingredients, spent the time to cook the food, and finally even served it all to them that all they have to do is scoop, chew, and swallow.

We also know that these food are healthy for them and we are just trying to nourish their growing minds and bodies.

Most importantly though, we really want to convey to them a sense of gratitude for what they have.

It seems though, that no matter how many times we tell them that many kids are starving in the world, the reality of it just doesn’t click to them.  They have never seen starving person or known any truly poor people.

I have seen people in the slums – kids who live with their family in one room cardboard houses.  I’ve been friends with students who collect things from the trash after school just to make some money for school supplies and food.  I have seen people share just a cup of black, watered-down coffee for breakfast.

That’s why once in a while, I like to show my kids videos that show how other people in the world are suffering.  I want my kids to see that there are others who can only wish or dream to have even a quarter of what they get everyday.

Like these kids, people in Haiti who eat DIRT/MUD COOKIES (made of dirt, vegetable shortening, and salt) in order to just stay alive…

Unbelievable, right?  We never would have thought that was even possible, but it’s happening right now.

I’ve heard a saying that “necessity is the mother of all inventions”, but sometimes I still can’t imagine things like this happening anywhere.

That’s why I ask that you take a minute today to show your kids this video too.  And really discuss what hunger means.

In our household, no one is allowed to say, “I’m starving!”  For good reasons.  We don’t really know what it’s like to feel starved and we really don’t want to try it.

So they can say they’re hungry and then accept whatever food we give them to satiate said hunger.  And then too, when we remember, we pray for those who have not even a crumb of what we just ate