Feeding the hungry among us is one of the sacred duties of our faith. It is a joy to see how serious we take this obligation at St. Luke’s. The St. Luke’s food ministries feed so many people across our city. Our Meals on Wheels program serves over 12,000 warm and nutritious meals each month to senior adults. It reminds me of the words in the book of Isaiah, “if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” – Isaiah 58:10
Feeding the hungry is how we bring hope to the world. This is why the story of Debbie Rickabaugh stood out to me this past week. Debbie delivers Meals on Wheels in Delaware, Ohio. She has been delivering meals for over 16 years. There is no doubt that these meals and her caring presence has made a difference in so many people’s lives. However, Debbie recently went above and beyond to bless the life of one the clients who receives her meals.
Debbie has been delivering meals to Dennis since 2020. Debbie and Dennis had a difficult time communicating, because Dennis is deaf. Dennis would read Debbie’s lips. Then the pandemic hit, and both had to wear masks. Debbie began to learn American Sign Language. She and Dennis were able to communicate once again. Their friendship has grown, and Dennis now helps Debbie further develop her sign language skills. Because Debbie Rickabaugh has served with such a caring attitude for so long, she was recently awarded the first Meals on Wheels America “Volunteer of the Year” Award.
Our food ministries, like Meals on Wheels, are about far more than just handing someone food. It is about feeding the hungry and filling their souls. When we go out of our way to connect with our neighbors and meet their needs, we fulfill the commandments of God. When we take time to serve, we not only bless others, but we find ourselves blessed. It is our joy to be light in the darkness of this world. One way we do this is by feeding others and sharing God’s love along the way.
– Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
