Lee Hee-jun, a South Korean actor, was a guest of Netflix’s food series, Chef and My Fridge, season 2. This series showcases eight renown Korean chefs in head-to-head battles preparing impromptu dishes using items found in their guests’ refrigerators. The winning chef in each round receives a star and honor among contemporaries. Hee-jun’s challenge to the chefs was to change his mind about noodles and to enjoy dishes worth lining up for.
Hee-jun shared his beginning days of theater, often eating ramyeon (aka ramen) because of a lack of funds. He would prepare his ramyeon in the morning, eating only the noodles, while he saved the broth for his dinner, adding cooked rice to it for a hearty meal.
Ramyeon was part of Hee-jun’s life for years until he became a star. And preparing the instant recipe permanently left marks on him today, making him dislike noodle dishes. It also trained him to spend no more than 15 to 20 minutes on any meal. Sounds like food and eating were burdens to Hee-jun and no joy could be found in them!
Then we have the Israelites. In the second month of their departure from Egypt, the Israelites were in the wilderness and started to grumble. The monotony of what they were eating in the desert made them think of hunger, craving meats and bread, because of the change in their diet.
Think of the time you went on vacation, perhaps in another country. The excitement of sights to see and local food to try made you forget about the life you left at home. But after seven days, you begin to experience some data overload. Even that greasy, heart-clogging cheeseburger that you avoid eating back home sounds so delicious you can taste it.
We are no different from the Israelites retrieving from their memory banks the meats and bread. We crave things that we think have been withheld from us. And we are like Hee-jun, trying to delete unpleasant ones, making it difficult to ever try what we ate so much of and enjoy something new.
So, here’s what happened. For Hee-jun, the competing chefs combined ingredients, including noodles, created depth and richness in their foods. The layers of flavors and textures gave him an experience he would not easily forget. Tasting the creations made him cry and, for the first time, he understood what happiness food could bring to someone.
In the same light, God said to the Israelites, “At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread” (Exodus 16:12). So, the people gathered as much as they could eat and forgot what they were longing for. They baked and broiled to their hearts’ content.
It’s interesting that we are impacted by experiences in different ways. Some can run deep, causing pain and bringing dark moments into one’s life. Others may appear insignificant, like eating too much ramyeon. It is trauma, no matter how inconsequential it seems to others. The memory may be triggered by a physical cue, like the noodles in Hee-jun’s case, or just randomly accessed by our brain, as in the case of the Israelites.
In Isaiah, we read, “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (43:18-19a). And the Apostle Paul talks about the importance of being intentional in embracing something new and moving forward. He said, “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead” (Philippians 3:13). Together, the words of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah and Paul remind us of the excitement of a revelation, an unveiling to watch for.
Yes, memories are important parts of who we are. But in a way, they also burden us in improving our present. Hee-jun’s past included his memory of a struggling actor surviving on instant noodles, unable to feast on good food because of a lack of funds. The Israelites’ sudden departure from Egypt meant they didn’t have a chance to pack their favorite meals, signaling a “no picnic” event.
But there needs to come a time for us to embrace an upgrade to welcome a renewal process. We must live in the present and intentionally create new memories or we will never be ready to enjoy what we have right in front of us and taste the flavor of happiness.
With his eyes closed while sampling mouthful after mouthful of the delicious, fine cuisines prepared by the chefs for him, Hee-jun was able to savor the layers of flavors. His palate experienced meticulous preparation and skillful execution. Hee-jun was amazed that the contents of his refrigerator could produce such refined and sophisticated dishes in the hands of a master.
In the same way, God provided quail in the evening and manna in the morning. Manna was given to the Israelites for 40 years until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. “It was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey” (Exodus 16:31). (Read Exodus 16 for the full story.)
In those moments, Hee-jun and the Israelites allowed their present experience with food to overshadow their memories of instant noodles and meats and bread. They tried something different, enjoyed what was in front of them, and finally tasted the flavors of happiness. It would have been a misdirected expectation to continue down the slippery slope of a fast-food approach to dining or crying over the old life lived in Egypt.
The Word of God encourages us to always find joy in the present. In the Gospel of Matthew, we read, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (6:34). It’s interesting that part of what we worry about is what we will eat, the very same thing the Israelites worried about—dying of hunger. Again, they were not hungry in the wilderness but had a change of their usual fare, what they were used to while living in Egypt. So, God literally showered them with their daily meal of quail and manna.
Second, “for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Sometimes we live with belts tightened; sometimes we live in plenty. Hee-jun is no longer a starving actor and could enjoy a treat of drawn out, gourmet mealtimes instead of wolfing down food as a matter of survival.
Third, “you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (James 4:14). What is the value of grumbling? Nothing! What is the worth of working hard and storing treasures on earth? Nothing! Job’s sons held feasts in their homes and invited each other and their sisters to eat and drink with them (Job 1:4). And there was Nabal who denied David and his men bread and water and meat when they asked for provisions. Nabal had a heart attack and died 10 days later because God struck him. (See 1 Samuel 25 for the full story.)
Jesus says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger…” (John 6:35). “Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food” (Isaiah 55:2b). “[Your] soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food” (Psalm 63:5).
There is no denying that the flavor of happiness is indeed Jesus Himself! “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth” (Psalm 119:103).
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/deniskomarov
Luisa Collopy is an author, speaker and a women’s Bible study teacher. She also produces Mula sa Puso (From the Heart) in Tagalog (her heart language), released on FEBC Philippines stations. Luisa loves spending time with her family over meals and karaoke!