How God Used Food Blogging to Help Me Write About Faith
Four years ago, an amazing opportunity dropped into my life. I had been living in Hong Kong for about a year but was struggling to make new friends. Before Hong Kong, I’d lived in Singapore for four years, from 22 to 26, and had the best time. My church had a huge and active young adults population and we’d hang out multiple times a week. Bible studies, coffee dates, hikes, dinners, parties … you name it. Introvert me had plenty of friends; thank you, Jesus.
But Hong Kong was different.
Maybe it was because I moved to Hong Kong at 26 and the church I decided to attend skewed older. More married couples and lots of babies. So there was naturally less time to hang out all the time like there is when you’re in your early / mid twenties, single and in a big city. But my experience is that Hong Kong is generally less open than Singapore when it comes to meeting strangers / new friends.
Also … I missed the unexpectedly glamorous of parts of my life in Singapore. While I was there, I had a friend (*cough* then boyfriend) who worked in the music business and with that came many opportunities to be backstage at concerts, go to magazine parties, meet cool people from around the world, etc. That wasn’t why we dated or anything … at the time, I actually found it stressful because I never had any time to rest aha. But honestly I think I struggled to fit in because it was a big new world for me whether I wanted to admit it or not. God had blessed the desire of my heart to move to a big city and experience these things, things I’d longed for after years of reading about similar experiences (in my childhood favourite magazines like Vogue and Elle) but gradually I realized that observing was different than living the life. And that maybe what I always thought I wanted wasn’t what I wanted after all.
My first year in Hong Kong was more chill as I went through some turmoil which included questioning my faith for the first time. But I came out of it the summer of 2016 with both a renewed faith that God exists and that he hears my prayers. So I asked him about more friends when meeting new people from different circles seemed almost impossible. I shyly remembered the fun, glamorous things I used to do and wondered if I’d get to do anything again. Also I asked him about writing. When I lived in Singapore, I’d started to write and pitch articles to lifestyle publications but Hong Kong was full of professional journalists … would there be any room for my words?
That summer, one pitch to Foodie (Hong Kong’s largest food website) led to reply from the kindest Editor in the world … and to four years now of invitations to be involved in Hong Kong’s F&B media scene. There have been opportunities to review everything from tiny family-owned restaurants to hotel-housed Michelin starred restaurants, cocktail bars from ambitious young bartenders to wine restaurants from Chateau owners. To meet chefs, editors (including from Vogue and Elle haha), bloggers, TV hosts, PR experts and more all who are passionate about food and championing the city’s creative scene. Through it all, I’ve been able to experience Hong Kong more deeply … and I feel in a God-tailored way. Every single experience I feel has been favour from God over my skills.
A few of my reviews:
Tate Dining Room & Bar
Tosca, Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong
Bo Innovation
ZEST by Konishi
Kinship
One of my favourite parts about writing for Foodie (and my own food blog) is that I’m allowed to do it in a blog-like style. I can share my personal experiences as they like having an ‘every person’ take on restaurants. And after four years, food blogging is not only fun and delicious but also quite easy. I’ve developed my voice. Perhaps I could have just coasted and enjoyed it but from time to time, I wondered why … did God give me this opportunity just to bless me with chances to eat awesome food, meet new friends, experience some desires of my heart? Because as much as I enjoyed it, I didn’t have that burning passion to pursue a career in the industry. I was still looking for that thing that would set my soul on fire with purpose and meaning. Then in 2019, I experienced an unexpected valley which led to months of crying out to God and asking for his love / help / presence practically 24/7. I sought God more than I ever had in my life and one day he reminded me of an idea he planted in my heart the year before. When he told me that one day I would write about faith.
At the time, I was nervous to start. About being truly honest and vulnerable, about not knowing all the Bible as well as I should, about no one taking me seriously. But in my valley season, God was moving in my life so vividly that my love for him was just pouring out. I had so much I wanted to share about God’s faithfulness. And one day he told me that I was to start the next month … just start and he would lead. “Just as you became confident writing about food, so you will become confident writing about faith,” he pressed on my heart.
So… I did.
Some of my earliest posts took me days off and on to write and research, and are some of my favourite pieces because I remember how God was so close, encouraging and helping me process / understand / heal. And now, four months on, I still love writing researched pieces on things God’s placed on my heart / I’m interested in learning (like Spiritual gifts!) … but I find myself also writing more in that conversational blogging style I developed thanks to food blogging … and gradually developing my faith writing style. Thank you for all your encouragement along the way.
In life our stories are always unfolding so it remains to be seen what God will do with all this food and faith blogging. But what I hope has come across is that God is always working in us and for us. Even if we’re walking in baby faith and many of our dreams our selfish … he’ll still work and bless, always leading us towards a greater plan. Maybe in your life you’re also wondering what God will do with the experiences / gifts he’s given you and the passions currently in your heart. Let’s continue to pray and follow his leading, yes? And not be afraid to dream big with and for God! Also I’ve finally realized I’ve had that thing that lights my heart on fire all along; it’s God. Now I so long to learn from / about him and write, draw, serve him with the gifts he’s given and will give me … to do this my whole life long and can’t wait to see what’s ahead.
I would also LOVE to hear about your passions and how God has worked / is working in your life! Please share with me in the comments below (or send me an email! :) and let’s praise all he’s doing. He is infinitely good … just makes me want to bow down with reverence and thanks for his great, endless love. Let’s encourage one another to serve him with all our hearts.
