During our two weeks in Turkey, we enjoyed meals I had never experienced before.

Traditional Turkish tea and coffee.
Mıhlama, a rich breakfast of cornmeal and melted cheese.
Testi Kebabı, slow-cooked inside a sealed clay pot that was dramatically broken open at our table.
Cağ Kebab, roasted horizontally over an open fire.
Fresh seafood overlooking the Bosphorus.
Baklava

Every meal was beautifully prepared, and each one reflected centuries of tradition and hospitality. Yet somewhere along the journey, I realized the greatest gift wasn’t found on the plate. 

Food has a remarkable way of slowing us down. It invites conversation. It creates memories. It reminds us that life is sustained one meal at a time. Perhaps that’s why Scripture speaks so often about meals—not simply because people needed to eat, but because God’s provision is woven into the ordinary rhythm of every day.

Paul reminds Timothy:

For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.
1 Timothy 4:4–5 (ESV)

It struck me that I had spent years thanking God before meals, sometimes almost automatically. Turkey reminded me to slow down again. Every cup of tea. Every piece of bread. Every shared meal. Each one quietly testified to the goodness of God.

Most of us don’t think much about our next meal. Yet millions around the world pray for bread they are not certain they will receive. Gratitude begins when we stop assuming that today’s blessings are guaranteed. Perhaps every meal is God’s gentle invitation to pause, to give thanks, and to remember that every good gift ultimately comes from His hand.

The food in Turkey was unforgettable. But the gratitude it awakened has remained with me long after the trip ended.

Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.

#faith #trustinggod #christianity #jesuschrist #bible #seekinggodswill #truth #sanctification #godisincontrol #godhearsourprayers #salvation #providenceofGod #whatifeverymealisagift #1 Timothy4:4–5

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