Something About Food: Makenzie McCabe

“They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.” - Acts‬ ‭2:42, 46-47‬ 

There’s something about food that brings people together. And, let me say, there’s nothing that brings together college students like free or very cheap food. I spent a lot of my time in college as a member of the Wesley Foundation, and one of my favorite things to do was help prepare Laid Back Lunch (LBL), the weekly $1 meal the Wesley serves to Louisiana Tech’s campus and the Ruston community. 

At first, I just went because I grew up in a family where we would host the family reunion every year, meaning there was a lot of cleaning and A LOT of cooking. I would have to help my grandmother and grandfather prepare food for over 100 family members. I enjoyed and still enjoy doing that kind of work, so I thought it would be a good fit. And it was, but not only because I loved the work; I learned a lot about being a Christian and following Jesus. 

One thing I learned cooking for around 150 people every week for LBL is that routine is key. When we cooked, Mrs. Melanie, a local pastor’s wife and a former intern, would go over the menu and tell us which food needed to be prepared and cooked first. We would all go to the roles we chose and get started. Though the menu was different every week, the longer I helped with LBL, the more it became a routine and the easier each task became. I realized it's the same with prayer. It’s so hard to make yourself sit down every day in silence and in prayer, especially when there are so many other things you feel like need to be done. But the more you sit down and ask for God to calm your spirit and speak to you, the easier it gets. I remember as an intern, part of our job (which was trying to teach us how to be good Christians) was to take part in Lectio Divina, a type of silent prayer. At the beginning of the year, it was really hard to sit there in silence, but the more practice we got throughout the year, the better it became for all of us on staff. That’s not to say that we didn’t have times where we fell short, but it was a lot easier to keep going than to stop and start again. I did not know at the time, but helping with LBL laid down some groundwork for having a time for prayer in my life and learning how practice makes it easier. 

Another thing LBL taught me was how to start getting to know people, and it showed me, partly, what it means to love others. Mrs. Melanie, after seeing her for several hours once a week, became a mentor and good friend to me. To be honest, at the time I was just happy to have someone truly listen to me and give advice on what was going on in my life. However, she was showing me how to do those things when I was interacting with people moving forward. When she told me she would pray for me, I knew she would. I felt comfort and clarity for things after I spoke to her about them. She also would pray before we started cooking for our safety in the kitchen and for the people who would come in. Also, she would ask for prayer requests and pray for us at that moment. She was showing me that caring for people begins in prayer for them and listening to their concerns with no intention other than to listen (and give advice when needed). Ms. Melanie taught me to listen to what people were saying, to care about them, and to show them the grace and love Jesus offers us.

LBL, of course, was and is always blessed because we ask God to bless it through prayer. There is always an opportunity to gather together, learn about one another, and, consequently, learn about our Lord Jesus Christ. I learned about routine and compassion partly because of the things I learned in helping with LBL. If you’re in town, you should stop by on Thursdays from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM and help continue a tradition of learning how to care for one another.

Makenzie is a beloved figure in Wesley memory. She is a former intern known for her bright smiles and wheezing laughter and still brings lasting joy to all those who met her.