A Craving for Chicken Inasal

Yaaay! I’ve finally satisfied my craving for chicken inasal (which had been going on from December) last Saturday. What’s more, God taught me some new things on that food trip.

After running a couple of errands, I went to the mall relatively near our house to get my Laking National card, which I had renewed a month ago. I haven’t had lunch yet, and I was debating with myself whether or not I should eat there or wait until I get home. I weighed my options: for Letter A, I would have an instant fix to my grumbling problem, but I’d end up spending, which is a bit of a turn-off considering I’m near broke. For Letter B, I wouldn’t be spending at all (except for the fare for my commute back), a yaaay factor. However, a mental image of a juicy chicken meal popped in my mind, and I decided to satisfy my long-overdue craving (even before Christmas, if you can believe it) for the Bacolod specialty (fortunately, I didn’t have to travel to that place to have that). I went to the restaurant and took a seat (not literally, of course). After giving my order, I took out my book (Tim LaHaye’s Finding the Will of God in a Crazy, Mixed-up World) and began reading it. Pretty soon, my food came and lo and behold! It wasn’t what I ordered! Praise God I didn’t blow up about it, and that He gave me good humor that day. Anyway, as I was waiting, I continued reading. Presently, my food arrived (the correct one this time), with the waiter apologizing for the mix-up. After assuring him that it’s alright, I dug into my food, pausing from time to time to continue reading my book. A few bites later, the waiter came back, and this time, it wasn’t to apologize again. It turns out that he’s also Christian, and that he was blessed to find another believer. He recommended some good books he’s read at first, and then he told me a bit of his story: he used to be a youth leader in their church, a drummer in their music ministry, and also served as one of the counselors to the kids there. However, he said that he backslid, and he stopped serving a prime position in their church. Praise God that he’s back on track now, although he hasn’t been able to regularly attend their meetings because he’s now working.

Now, people could say that it’s a huge coincidence to meet someone of the same faith as I do. I believe though, that there is no such thing as “coincidence” and that it was the Lord’s will for the two of us to meet at that day and at that time. There I was reading my book on how to make sense of my life, and then came this guy who, while not answering that question in my mind, assures me of just why I chose to walk in faith. After I ate there, I felt such peace that did not come from what I ate physically, but what He nourished me with. The waiter (I’m not trying to be demeaning by continually calling him that, it’s just that I wasn’t able to catch his name) himself said that God led me there specifically to eat, and I couldn’t agree more. I don’t know where the craving for chicken inasal came from, and why it came on December, but I do know one thing: He brought me there in that restaurant at three o’clock Saturday for a reason. I could’ve satisfied that craving earlier, but for some unknown reason, I didn’t (imagine a month-long craving!).

One of the things I’ve learned from him in those few minutes he came up to chat was something he was taught in one of their seminars. They were taught what “Christian” should mean for us: CHRIST, I Am Nothing. That’s true: we are nothing without Christ. The only way we could be something is if we are in Him. Another thing I’ve learned from Him, implicitly, is that He’s in control. Imagine this guy who was at the top of the food chain (figuratively speaking), but he falls. Yet he stands up again, and even without the previous standing he enjoyed, he is still at peace and filled with joy for the Lord. He also continues to feel the burden of other people who chose to follow the world and not Jesus. He’s also thankful for the job that God gave him, even if he already has, or is studying for a degree (I’m not clear on which one). For someone who’s trying to find meaning and direction in her life, that really shook me, because the Lord brought me to meet someone who is also clueless on what the Lord has in store for him, yet continues to believe in Him wholeheartedly that He’s got a perfect plan for him. I know that too, yet my heart can’t seem to catch up to that knowledge yet, because I still feel anxiety because the Lord hasn’t shown me as of yet what He’s calling me to do. I got convicted because of him, yet at the same time, the encounter brought me peace. As he said, the Lord had a plan why He made me eat there. I know that for my part, He taught me a lot of things. Hopefully, I also helped the waiter out in his faith walk by witnessing to him. Whichever case, it’s really just great how God works, to bring about a craving into something that’s for His glory.

The encounter also made me reflect how my relationship with God is these days. Whenever I need Him, I’d go and ask Him a question and then cut a Bible expecting an answer. Sometimes, I would receive one immediately, but sometimes, none of the verses on that spread strike me, so I continue cutting my Bible until I come upon one that seems to answer the question in my head, and then I’d be satisfied. In a way, that’s also like a craving: you’d get an itty-bitty piece of something that you feel you want to have. Once you get that taste, you’ll already be satisfied. However, maybe cravings aren’t really what we should have for His Word. Maybe we’re supposed to have a deep hunger for Him and His Word that will never quench. Cravings can be satisfied, but hopefully our hunger for the Lord would not be so paltry as to easily disappear once we get a taste of it. Rather, may the Word we receive from Him draw us into reading and accepting more and more, so that we would be filled with Him and not seek other things to fulfill this emptiness within us.

1 Corinthians 10:31 So whether we eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God

Lk 12:29 Don't keep worrying about having something to eat or drink. Only people who don't know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father knows what you need. But put God's work first, and these things will be yours as well.