Vienna sausages in heaven

It was eating time in the Pulido residence and our “guests”, my uncle, aunt, cousin and cute little nephew were just arriving.

“Ninang! Happy birthday,” greeted my cute little nephew.

“Hi there =) do you have a gift for me?” i asked.

“No. But I brought this,” and he showed me this small can of Vienna sausages.

Oh dear. Uh-oh. We had a delicious feast prepared, and here was my nephew, clinging to his one favorite food. i pointed out as much to him right then and there, and while we were eating i kept convincing him to try the chicken, or the crab, but to no avail.

Ivan’s appetite didn’t really surprise me; he usually just eats rice, or rice with some soup, and that’s it. And since his grandparents returned to the country with a stack of canned goods i usually saw him eating those sausages out of the can.

But in carrying canned goods to a family gathering, Ivan completely missed the point of why he came to our house. We came together (i) to enjoy each other’s company, (ii) to remember my grandfather who passed away six years ago, (iii) to finalize some details regarding my grandmother’s burial, (iv) to celebrate my birthday the next day, and of course, (v) to eat. Hey Ivan, you came here to eat special food, not those typical ordinary canned sausages!

i don’t really have anything against Vienna sausages; i can actually relate to Ivan, i did have a phase when that’s all i wanted to eat too. And the fact that he actually brought to a lunch party what he himself wanted to eat, does border on the humorous. (Did i mention he’s five years old? Hihihi.)

But if he only knew what he was missing out on!

He missed out on the delicious food and the point of why he visited us for lunch.

Which reminds me of people who similarly missed the food and missed the point.

First off: what would you do when faced with the food that gives life?

(1a) Some did not accept the Bread of Life.

“I am not like the bread your ancestors ate. They ate that bread and still died. I am the bread that came down from heaven, and whoever eats this bread will live forever.”

…When the followers of Jesus heard this, many of them said, “This teaching is hard. Who can accept it?”

…After Jesus said this, many of His followers left Him and stopped following Him.

(John 6:58,60,66)


(1b) This woman asked for the Living Water, and got it.

Jesus said, “If you only knew the free gift of God and who it is that is asking you for water, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

The woman said, “Sir, where will you get this living water? The well is very deep, and you have nothing to get water with. Are you greater than Jacob, our father, who gave us this well and drank from it himself along with his sons and flocks?”

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give will never be thirsty. The water I give will become a spring of water gushing up inside that person, giving eternal life.”

The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water so I will never be thirsty again and will not have to come back here to get more water.”

(John 4:10-15)


Second: would you get the point, or miss it?


(2a) The disciples needed a little hint.

Jesus’ followers went across the lake, but they had forgotten to bring bread. Jesus said to them, “Be careful! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

His followers discussed the meaning of this, saying, “He said this because we forgot to bring bread.”

Knowing what they were talking about, Jesus asked them, “Why are you talking about not having bread? Your faith is small. Do you still not understand? Remember the five loaves of bread that fed the five thousand? And remember that you filled many baskets with the leftovers? Or the seven loaves of bread that fed the four thousand and the many baskets you filled then also? I was not talking to you about bread. Why don’t you understand that? I am telling you to beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

Then the followers understood that Jesus was not telling them to beware of the yeast used in bread but to beware of the teaching of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

(Matthew 16:5-12)


(2b) At times i still don’t get it; i need all the hints and signs i could get.

All have sinned and are not good enough for God’s glory,
 and all need to be made right with God by His grace, which is a free gift.
 They need to be made free from sin through Jesus Christ.
 (Romans 3:23)

When people sin, they earn what sin pays --- death.
 But God gives us a free gift –-- life forever in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 (Romans 6:23)


God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him may not be lost, but have eternal life. God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world guilty, but to save the world through Him…
 (John 3:16-17)


 I mean that you have been saved by grace through believing. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. It was not the result of your own efforts, so you cannot brag about it.
 (Ephesians 2:8-9)


i cannot brag about it.


i cannot brag about my independence; i truly, madly, deeply need God, in life and in the afterlife.

i cannot brag about my good works; they are inadequate and insignificant compared to what Jesus did for me.

i cannot brag about my Vienna sausages in heaven.


Like aunt, like nephew, eh? ;D =)