When a Happy Meal Makes You Sad

Every Sunday we call Israel on the phone. We always call at dinnertime since the phone is near room where the kids eat. Every Sunday, I ask what Israel is eating, and it's usually either "frijoles & crema" (beans & sour cream) or "sopa" (soup).

Remember, now, that he knows maybe a dozen words in English and my Spanish isn't great, so there's not a ton of variety in our Sunday conversations. I always ask him what he's doing, to which the answer is almost always "eating." Then I ask what he's eating.

This past Sunday, though, when I asked what he was doing, he said he was watching a movie. So I asked, "What did you eat for dinner?" He said, "leche" (milk). I asked if he was hungry, and he said no, but my mommy heart was having a hard time with the idea that we were getting ready to sit down to eat a hot, nutritious dinner here while he was having milk.

Then I asked, "What did you eat for breakfast today?"

And Israel said, "cajita feliz" (A Happy Meal)

I said, "A hamburger?"

"Yes"

"For breakfast?!"

"Yes"

(Sigh)

We went on to talk about other things, like his favorite thing to eat for breakfast, and then he talked to Jeremy and the girls as usual. But the conversation was another reminder to me of something I so want to be able to do for him and can't. It breaks my heart!

It is important that I do say that the nuns at the orphanage are incredibly sweet, kind women who genuinely love the kids they diligently care for. They are doing the very best they can with the resources that they have, and I have no doubt that their care has made a tremendous difference in Israel's life.

But Israel is still in an orphanage.

And it's easy for me to forget just what that means.

But on Sunday, I remembered.

With my girls, I am extremely choosy about what they eat and what they don't. Which granola bar has the most fiber and the least sugar? Are they eating plenty of fruits and vegetables every day? Does breakfast include some form of dairy or protein? Halloween candy is rationed out (except to me, of course!). Soda? Rarely. Sugar cereal? Almost never!

How fortunate we are that these things are choices! I am thankful for my conversation with Israel in that it was a reminder to me that the Lord has provided abundantly for us and I must be careful not to take it for granted or abuse the privilege.

It was also a reminder to me to pray all the more for Israel's health, knowing that his nutrition is less than ideal. And for his heart and mind as he will have to adjust to big changes in areas we hadn't given much consideration before.

And mostly, that he will be home soon, so his mama can make him a healthy breakfast!