In 2018, I attended a Thrive retreat. It was there I realized God likes American snacks and Chinese food. Okay, perhaps I’m stretching it a bit, but seriously, He spoke to me through snacks and Chinese food. I was just pulling through a pretty rough year of service and needed a reminder of His love because I was doubting it. I was doubting if I heard Him correctly, if my husband did, if He had any idea what I just went through, if He even cared. Did He still love me? 

I was needing a retreat not only for my physical and mental state but largely for my spirit. He had more surprises than I anticipated. A few days before it, my husband was “whining” about how he missed real maple syrup and Bisquick pancakes. Just add that to the list of other things we were missing. Of all the things to win at the first game night of the retreat, I won a big box of Bisquick and maple syrup! I texted him a photo with a caption, “God must love you.” That was just the start. One of the retreat volunteers knew someone I knew and brought loads of candies and American snacks. I sent another text photo to my family captioned, “God must really love you.” The following day at dinner, what did my eyes behold but tables and tables of Chinese food! Chinese is my all-time fave. And it was real Chinese food! Being Asian and having served in Asia for nine years, you become an Asian food snob of sorts. 

Now, God had my attention. I sent a photo of the menu and captioned it, “God loves me, too.” The rest of the retreat reinforced this love, but my greatest takeaway was that I had not been forgotten. I was reminded that God's not only about the big stuff. He knows and cares about the little things.

To most people, it was just food. But for me, it was a nudge, an answer. It was the reminder I needed that God did hear me, He cares for me, and He loves me. Like how a father delights in seeing his children happy, I’m sure He chuckled watching me stuff my face with Chinese food that night.