One of my favorite parts of serving people is to prepare delicious food for their physical enrichment. Here’s a glimpse at two regular opportunities I have to serve some dear people here in Montana, USA.
On Saturday mornings once a month, Grahame and I host what we call an MLA (Men’s Leadership Association) class at a church in Great Falls. I cook a hearty breakfast for around thirty hungry guys who have driven in from outlying communities as far away as 90 miles (145 kilometers). After breakfast, Grahame leads the guys in a worship time, teaches some aspect of spiritual leadership, after which the fellows participate in discussion and prayer time. The men who take part always go away well-fed both physically and spiritually!
On a couple of Sunday afternoons each month during the school year, I am also pleased to prepare and serve food for our YLG (Youth Leadership Groups) that meet in the communities of Fort Benton and Conrad. Young people from the surrounding areas gather after their morning services to enjoy lunch and class time with Grahame and me.
Our teaching at YLG meetings is focused on growing closer to Jesus Christ in our individual lives through worship and study of God’s Word. As a result, leadership skills are developed that enable the teens to more effectively share Christ in their daily lives as well as to aid the students in discerning the path of life for which God is preparing them.
I am grateful for the opportunity to share my God-given gift to prepare meals for people, and to facilitate our meaningful learning times together. I often think of a quote by Woodrow Wilson that says: “In the Lord’s Prayer, the first petition is for daily bread. No one can worship God or love his neighbor on an empty stomach.”
It’s really satisfying for me to know that people would have a hard time leaving one of my meals feeling hungry!
What gifts have you been given that bring joy as you share them with others? Please tell us about them in the comments.
