I was at my parent’s home for a recent holiday. My parent’s parents were immigrants and so my parents earned all they have the good old hard workin’ way. They LOVE to tell stories of the past as much as i love for my children to hear them.
People who work hard for their things often value them more than their actual market value; creating what we fondly call ‘pack rats’. Grandpa and Grandma’s basement will be the worlds greatest estate sale some day complete with old post cards, cubs beer cans, kirby vacuum parts, cigar boxes, wooden toys that were too good to play with, tools and old magazines that look like newspapers.
Seated around the fireplace, my kids and I were reading some of these old newspaper/magazines. WOW. so funny. The women wore aprons, pantyhose, pumps and pearls at home while cleaning; cigarettes were cool for men, women were about the home and ‘it’s man’, and all the ads were about items that made the woman’s job easier-hence “to make the mans castle shine!. EASY. More convenient. Iron easier. Vacuum easier. Clean windows easier. Care for your hair and skin easier, care for your kids and man easier and life will be better! Cooking was all about convenient.–
Convenience reigned over healthy.Canned peas were on every other page. Easy canned peas……
My 3 sons and I soaked in the history lesson. 3 things came to mind:
1. good times for grandpa that the woman’s job was all about the man!
2. We have learned that -easy- had taken away health and therefore, now we are into “natural” “organic” and “whole foods”, green and natural chemical free cleaners.
3. that the culture of convenience invades a much larger part of life than eating a healthier version of peas…….
…….our family, relationships, our faith, our church life.
Now, for my disclaimer: I have always been very spiritual, was raised going to catholic church and although i dont practice catholicism i do seriously follow Jesus. I have worked on a church staff and think that it is good to take a little inventory.
As I took a personal inventory I did realize that I had at times marketed church and therefore Jesus “easy like canned peas”. This is not easy topic to discuss or handle well, it is not my intent here to bash anyone else. It is my intent to look closely into my heart and the ways and whys of my work, which was truly for Jesus, but i am sad to say..formed a “canned peas jesus” to some extent. I shared the good and easy stuff first and louder. I saved the “in this life there are troubles part” -which jesus cleary states…for later. I regret this. i apologize. I have changed. I think maybe I myself followed a canned peas Jesus. my life at times is a canned peas life.
I read stories with my teens about persecuted Christians, this quote comes from believers in North and South Vietnam, they speak of “unofficial” and “official” church pastors there:
“My dad was an unofficial church pastor. When such pastors get caught they either to prison or sometimes are sent to work in official churches in the North. I spent my childhood years in the official church where the pastors are paid and controlled and we are taught a safe and mild Christianity. I was very good and very involved in youth activity. Therefore, my faith was not born until i found myself in the south married to a pastor of an unofficial church in a home. I raise my kids this way even though they have seen much persecution even in their own life. If kids speak of belonging to an official church they are left alone, if they speak of belonging to an unofficial church-much trouble comes their way. Even in our beatings God protects us because we are truly His, truly worshipping Him and not a small self made part of Him, as they feed people in the North”
I guess all this to say, I dont desire to reveal in my self a life a canned peas faith. Is it even really faith? or just enough to make me feel as if it is ?
what about canned peas marriage or parenting, or canned peas self care?
yes, this is really how things progress in conversation at my home..from peas to purpose. 
