My Really Old Can of Pork

Today, I want to tell you about this here can of "PORK".  Leanna found it in one of the kitchen boxes the other day and because she knows the story behind it, she left it out so I could have a minute with it before we put it away.

I got this can of pork in 1994.  Yup, this can of pork has been with me for 20 years.  I was fresh out of high school and sort of bouncing around from house to house, roommate to roommate.  I finally moved into an apartment in Turner with a friend from work.  I was working as a video clerk making $4.16 an hour and we were both struggling to make ends meet.  There were times we couldn't keep the lights on.  I was not having any part of God at the time but my friend had grown up in the church and made an appearance there on occasion.  Someone in the church figured out that we hadn't eaten in a few days and they left a bag of food in front of our apartment door.

When we came home and found the food, we immediately went through the bag to see what kind of goodies might be in there.  There were things like spaghetti and sauce, mac and cheese (also known as Kraft Dinner), beans, canned veggies, and then there was this can of Pork.  The picture above just really doesn't really do the can justice.  It is just a gun metal gray can with a pig on it and it says PORK with natural juices.  I stared and stared at that can of pork.  No matter how hungry I was, there was no way I was eating that.  Don't get me wrong, I was super blessed and grateful for the food.  There was just something about this can.  Let me tell ya'll that getting that can of pork affected me.  I didn't want to ever again be in a place where this can of pork was my only option.

I would like to say that life took an upswing at that time and that the can of pork motivated me to bigger and better things...but it didn't.  I learned later that I was going to need Jesus for that.  Instead, things actually got worse :(  We got evicted out of our apartment because my friend was stealing the rent money instead of paying the rent with it.  As many of you know, I eventually hit rock bottom when I ended up homeless and living in my car.  Looking back, I find it funny that I was living in my car, but I sure did have my can of pork with me. I think a part of me knew that things could get bad enough that I would need to eat it, and a part of me let the can serve as a reminder to keep trying to change the situation.  It took several more years of bouncing around before things in my life started to stabilize.

That can of pork traveled with me from apartment to apartment.  If I had experienced a super rough day at work, the can was pulled out of the pantry so that I could remember what a super rough day looked like.  Two days ago, when I took a minute with my can, I took a minute to be thankful for where I came from.  I took a minute to be grateful for the change in me.  I took a minute to pray for those who might be facing a situation where that can of pork would be a blessing.  When I open the pantry and see that can, I am reminded of the amazing power of a loving God.  I reckon I'll keep it until it explodes or something.

Look around you.  Do you have something that can serve as a visual reminder for all He has done in your life?  If not, I recommend you find something, even it's something as silly as a can of pork.