Lessons Learned from My Sickness Part 16: “What Do You Want to Eat? I’ll Cook It for You”
By Pastor Ronny Luces
One good memory I have of childhood in my coastal neighborhood is the picture of people gladly exchanging plates of food.
A neighbor knocking on your door and offering you his freshly cooked ‘ginat-an nga dagmay‘ (taro in coconut milk) was a daily occurrence.
To show him your gratitude, you also put ‘apan-apan‘ (water spinach) in his plate with 3 pieces of ‘bukayo‘ (coconut candy) for his children.
Alas, this healthy exchange of goodwill and foodstuff gradually faded, which the younger generation no longer witnessed.
I am glad that this generous practice of food serving is being revived in the life of people in the church.
During potluck dinners, fellowship gatherings, thanksgiving services, family celebrations, people bringing foodstuff to be shared and enjoyed is a sight to behold.
I believe that this practice is not only a cultural expression to proclaim to all and sundry our bayanihan identity, but it is to me a manifestation of the nature of our Christian faith and spiritual identity.
In the scriptures, Christ always shared food to the people. He even commanded his disciples who were facing 5000 people, “You give them something to eat” (Luke 9:13).
My long hospital confinement was not all filled with difficult or heavy experiences like pain, boredom, anxiety, stress, but also memorable experiences of joy, sharing and fellowship.
These joyful experiences were usually ushered in by phone calls I frequently receive, “Pastor, what do you want to eat? I’ll cook it for you”.
Posted on FB: 9 March 2015 – 12:44 PM
About the Author
Rev. Ronny Luces was the Minister for Administration and Community Service of the Jaro Evangelical Church (JEC), Iloilo City, Philipines. He and his wife, Martha have been with JEC’s ministry since 1994.
Pastor Ronny graduated from Central Philippine University College of Theology in 1985 and was pastor of several Baptist churches.
In January 2015, after tests and two long hospital confinements, Pastor Ronny got the word he had lung cancer. He underwent chemotherapy.
Praying for healing and going through all the medical processes, Pastor Ronny wrote his reflections “Lessons Learned from My Sickness.” In July 2015, he passed away.
May Pastor Ronny’s series of reflections and meditations strengthen your hope and faith as you go through your own life’s battles.
PHOTO CREDIT: Dennis Miyashiro via Flickr Creative Commons License. The photo has been cropped and re-sized to fit the website requirement.
Leave a Reply