It’s Easter! I wrote this in early February 2026. Today seemed as good a day as any to share this while I think about the living things in my life, including the bouquet of flowers that I bought 11 days ago and the Rose of Jericho that I watered today. I shared a post on my other blog recently about what flowers have come to mean for me. That little grocery store bouquet sitting on my coffee table isn’t as full as it was on the day that I originally bought it, but it is still holding up pretty nicely. I think I have a couple more days of life left in them. And that Rose of Jericho? What better day than Easter to water it, even though I don’t necessarily celebrate Easter nowadays. The Rose of Jericho is a plant that looks dead until you water it. To use it in spiritual work is to bring new life and protection into whatever you’re praying for or manifesting.
This isn’t an official polished essay or blog post. This was just me writing freely and reflecting on blessings in my life. I’ll put out the disclaimer that this isn’t the most theologically sound string of thoughts, but it is a string of thoughts that I believe is coherent, so I’m not editing it much. Just try to follow me and pick up what I’m putting down. If it moves you in any way, you can support my work at buymeacoffee.com/thegiftedreader.
Me and My Little Lamb
Lambs. Biblically speaking, isn’t Jesus considered a lamb? Sacrificial lamb? Peace offering lamb?
Right now, in my refrigerator, is leftover leg of lamb that I prepared in the slow cooker with a litany of herbs, spices, and aromatics. I’ve prepared ground lamb before in the same way I do ground beef, turkey, or chicken. I used it in chili and spaghetti. Aside from being a little fattier than what I typically use, it tasted delicious in my chili. I only had it then because I happened to catch it on clearance for about the same price that I normally purchase ground turkey. I’ve also enjoyed lamb in wraps and gyros that I buy during one of my special treat trips to a local Mediterranean restaurant.
Today, I received a small rack of lamb along with a package of filet mignon. Mind you, since the summer of 2025, I have frequented food pantries and giveaways multiple times per month, and this lamb and beef, which I received at no cost to me, is a treat.
For the sake of spreading a little knowledge about how many food pantries and giveaways work, it is true that these organizations receive donations from generous individuals and families, but a significant portion of the food that they receive comes from retailers. The food is often products that are a step away from going in the trash, not because it is bad or spoiled, but because it may be overstock, discontinued, or it is nearing expiration. The United States, along with many other “developed” countries, has a major problem with food waste on both macro and micro levels. It’s crazy. Estimates vary depending on the source, but as a collective, we waste anywhere from 30-40% of our food.
Meat—fresh meat—is not something I typically receive in these food hauls. Canned tuna or chicken, yes. Fresh chicken, sometimes. Beef is rare. Lamb, though. Lamb is something that is normally completely out of my price range. The price sticker was left on the leg of lamb I received. The clearance price was $42. The filet mignon I got today also had the price sticker still on it. It was on clearance for almost $60.
My go-to Psalm for any sort of prayer or spiritual working is Psalm 23.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
If God is my shepherd, that means I am God’s sheep. More specifically, God’s baby sheep. God’s lamb.
Sheep has a bit of a negative connotation for a lot of people, but in this case, I don’t think that’s the case at all.
Here I am, preparing and consuming expensive cuts of meat that came at no cost to me other than making sure I showed up at the right time and place to receive it. If I were at the grocery store for a typical trip on my typical budget, lamb and filet mignon wouldn’t be on my shopping list at all. I’m not even sure my normal grocery store carries it.
On this day, as I am recording these thoughts, my finances are questionable. I have been extended so much grace that it is unbelievable. And all I have done so far is my best when it comes to work while I try to maintain contact with my ancestors, my spiritual family.
Everything is a sign. Everything has symbolism, if you ask me.
Here’s the thing—one of the things—favor ain’t fair, but grace is for everybody willing to receive it. I know for a fact that there are critics of food pantries and social programs. I normally don’t take advantage of too many of the social programs in my state, but food pantries are a different beast. I could go on a whole diatribe about food pantries, food waste, and controlled chaos, but I’ll save that for another day. However, in my experience, the majority of the food giveaways I attend and have attended in the past required nothing of me. No paystubs, no proof of address. Some of them don’t even ask for my name. Trust, though, that when I do provide my personal information, I still more than qualify for all the food I get.
I’ve seen comments from some people who believe that food is a privilege and that they have too much pride to go to food banks. If I kept that mentality, I wouldn’t have much of anything at all, let alone food.
“They’re eating better than me. Maybe I need to start going to the food bank,” I’ve seen some people say. They absolutely should. You don’t have because you don’t ask, and you think you’re too good to ask.
I have my thoughts about Jesus and the resurrection. In a metaphorical sense, I see it as a humbling of the self for a greater purpose. That’s where I am right now.
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