Things that touch our senses can ignite so many memories, can’t they? A song or a smell can immediately take you back to a place in time. A meal can do the same.

There are many memories I have around food. Reflecting on it today, I am reminded of the time I spent working at Lighthouse Ministries. Lighthouse has a residential program to help men, women and their children get back on their feet, and the noon meal fed not only the residents of the mission but also the employees. Meals were created to feed large numbers using whatever was available. To be honest the quality of the ingredients was usually lacking, but what I remember most about those meals was Mary.

Mary was the mission’s cook. A large woman, standing on her feet all day in a hot kitchen could not have been easy for her. But you wouldn’t have known it by her spirit. As you made your way toward the dining room, you could count on hearing Mary’s laughter and singing before you could smell the food. It makes my heart smile as I think back to those days and how she made everyone feel through her lively spirit.

This year of 2020 has left many of us frustrated with many things, including planning meal times. No longer spending so much time in restaurants, we have been forced to get back to planning and preparing meals. I had become pretty lazy myself before these last few months. With the demands of work, Danny and I found ourselves dining out more than we were eating at home. It was not good for our wallet and it wasn’t good for our health, knowing restaurants typically source ingredients that are high in preservatives so that they will last longer.

The value of a meal shared among a family came up during a recent Wildtree leadership meeting. It fills an emotional and spiritual need, the act of taking the time from our busy lives to sit and break bread together. Thinking of Mary and how she worked so hard in that kitchen to cheerfully feed so many and fill all of our spirits, I am reminded of how much I used to enjoy cooking for and serving the people in my life, and I am thankful to have found my way back to the kitchen. Mary was a great example. I wonder if she knows what an inspiration she is.

Shalom!