Yancey County
“Everyone’s toil is for their mouth, yet their appetite is never satisfied.” — Ecclesiastes 6:7 (NIV).
Some moments in life stay with you — not because they were dramatic, but because they revealed something deeper about the human experience. This is one of those moments.
Years ago, I came to the United States from the former USSR as a young missionary. My friend Alexis, from Gabon, had also come to serve. We were both in Louisiana, working to help communities rebuild after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. We were full of purpose and youthful energy — but also aware of the physical and emotional toll of that season.
One moment during that time has stayed with me ever since. It started with a simple meal. What happened turned into a lesson about hunger, compassion, expectations… and the surprising ways abundance can affect the soul.
My friend Alexis and I were both far from home, serving as missionaries in post-Katrina Louisiana. He came from Gabon. I came from the USSR. Life was different here — faster, fuller, louder — but also strangely lonelier in certain ways.
One day, Alexis told me something that struck me: “Back in my country, when I was hungry, almost anything tasted good.” I replied honestly: “Here in the U.S., I feel even hungrier than I did back home.” He would talk about hunger often. Every time we sat down to eat, he cleaned his plate. Then he would finish what others didn’t eat. And still, he was hungry.
Moved with compassion, I had an idea. “Come with me,” I told him. “I want to take you somewhere.” We went to a buffet — one of those American restaurants where you pay once and eat as much as you want. Plates piled high. Food everywhere. I paid for both of us and said, “Eat whatever you want. As much as you want.”
“Give, and it will be given to you… For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” — Luke 6:38 (ESV).
I thought I was giving him what he needed — a gift of fullness, freedom, abundance. I wanted him to be satisfied. I wanted to help.
Alexis stood up. He walked around the entire buffet. Then he walked around it again. He stared at the trays of food — meat, vegetables, rice, breads, desserts — his eyes wide, not with excitement, but with something harder to describe. Then he came back to the table.
He sat down. And he didn’t eat a thing.
I sat there, quietly eating, puzzled. Finally, I asked him, “Alexis… what happened?” He looked at me and said softly, “I got overwhelmed.”
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” — Proverbs 19:21 (NIV).
I didn’t fully understand it then. I had offered food — good food, freely given. And yet, it didn’t meet the need I thought it would. But now I see. That moment wasn’t just about hunger. It was about being flooded by choices after a lifetime of limitations.
It was about standing in a place of abundance — and feeling small. Sometimes, we don’t break down because we’re starving. We break down because we finally have access, and it’s too much, too fast.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” — Matthew 5:6 (NIV).
Years later, I still think about that buffet, that full room, and that untouched plate. We were young. We were learning. And life was teaching us — not through books, but through compassion, surprise, and silence.
Maybe you’ll see your own lesson in this story: that even good intentions have limits; that we often give what we think someone needs; that compassion sometimes means listening, not fixing; that abundance can sometimes overwhelm more than lack.
Whatever lesson you take, carry it gently. We all hunger for something. And we all need each other.
“Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food.” — Isaiah 55:2 (NLT).
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Pastor Art Dmytriyev is originally from Siberia. He has traveled the world in Evangelism and pastoral ministry. He serves as a pastor in North Carolina, holds a Master of Divinity degree, and is currently a Doctor of Ministry candidate. More information at: https://burnsvillenc.adventistchurch.org/pastors-blog
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