麻豆社

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Swarzy Shire

Growing up, I鈥檝e always been around food and when my family throw a party, it鈥檚 always in the kitchen! My Mum is from Guyana and my Dad is from Mauritius so my home is full of flavour, laughter, and music - but not much faith. My parents aren鈥檛 Christians and don鈥檛 believe in Jesus, but I had a life changing moment at 14 years old鈥� after being caught shoplifting.

The shopkeeper was furious when he found empty hangers in the changing room and immediately called the police. I panicked and, in desperation, I prayed for the first time: 鈥淕od, if You鈥檙e real, please help me. Get me out of this mess, and I鈥檒l follow You for the rest of my days.鈥� To my surprise, the shopkeeper put down the phone, opened the door, and let me go.

I鈥檇 never experienced such mercy like that before. That same week, a friend from school invited me to her youth church. Someone handed me an Oreo milkshake before leading my upstairs where their testimony night was happening. I listened to other young people shared how Jesus met them in their mess with mercy and grace. And that night, I met Him too.

Psalm 34:8 is one of my favourite verses from the bible: 鈥淭aste and see that the Lord is good!鈥� Looking back on my life, both food and faith have helped me experience God鈥檚 goodness. That鈥檚 why I love reading how Jesus often shared meals with people - from wedding feasts to breakfast by the sea - moments where His kindness and care were revealed in the most ordinary, human ways.

I pray there would be moments this week, that we might taste and see the goodness of God in our own lives and find that His love is sweeter than life itself鈥�and Oreo milkshakes too. Amen.