The Wittz End: Cooking class.

We are gathered around to roll the dough into balls.

A long time friend, and her daughter in law, has started a cooking class in town. So far we have learned how to make chicken curry with Naan, minced beef and egg fried wraps, chicken Biriyani, and Goat curry with Roti. We have also watched how she makes sweet "desserts" out of cracked wheat and vermicelli.

There are moments in between the meal preparations that we have conversations that provide the opportunity of getting to know each other on a deeper level. I always want to be respectful to hear about their faith even though it is different than my own. My friends are very generous to the poor especially during their Holy holidays. They tell us how many goats they slaughter in order to give massive amounts of meat to the less fortunate. They invite the poor to their home and feed them breakfast on the morning of EID. One year, they even gave Jason packages of food to hand out to farm workers. I have told her that this is a quality I admire and being generous is talked about in the Bible. ("It's more blessed to give than receive." Acts 20:25) After I said this to her, the subject was quickly changed. I have come to realize that she wants to "prove to me" how "good" she is by the things she does. I acknowledge that she does do a lot, more than others that I know- but still she will always fall short. We can never be good enough and do enough good deeds to be worthy to stand before a Holy God.

My friend was explaining to me about a "famous" Mosque in G-town that gets visited by people from around the world each year when they are traveling for Tabligh. Once a year she is called upon to cook a meal for the hundreds of people that come to this Mosque. My friend has back problems and has to sit in a chair while she cooks, but still does this without complaint. I look for ways to encourage her and show her that I care about her as a person. There have been times she has asked questions about Christianity but it has been a long time since she has asked anything and I feel like she is purposely trying to completely avoid the topic altogether.

Nevaeh was asking our friend how many years in age is too big of a gap for a man and woman to have in between them as a husband and wife. My friend immediately responded that there is no age that is too big of a gap because the Prophet Mohammed had a wife that was 44 years younger than him. I could tell this was a very touchy subject. Nevaeh was just being herself saying that she finds it inappropriate for old men to be interested in young girls who are children. (she actually said that it is disgusting) We were able to move past this to talk about something else but there was a brief moment of tension. I really never know what to expect at these cooking classes. I genuinely enjoy learning and their company. I truly look for a way I can share about why I love Jesus so much. I am ready and prayerfully waiting for the Holy Spirit's leading.

My family and I have gotten to watch the first episode of the new season of the Chosen. The actors were portraying the story about John the Baptist and showing how it started with him in the womb of his old mother, Elizabeth. (out of baby bearing age). His Old looking Father Zechariah had an encounter with an angel and was given the prophecy in Luke 1:13-17

"Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. he will bring back many of the people of Israel you the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom and righteous- to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

When Zechariah questioned the angel the angel told him- he would not be able to speak until the baby was born, because of his unbelief. The show jumped ahead to show John the Baptist in jail as an adult and being ushered by guards to his execution- being beheaded. I have always been impacted by this being the end of John's life (on earth). Absolutely Jesus could have rescued John, his cousin, but that was not the plan. John had fulfilled his purpose preparing the way for the Messiah. I know all of us have been given a specific calling/gifting to be used in our lifetime. I want to "be about my Father's business " at the cooking class and in all my relationships. I have wondered if John could have pushed Jesus's name forward even more if he had lived longer, but what if he would have done the exact opposite? What if he got in the way of the One who he spoke of. I am not required to do any more than what God has called me to. I rest in knowing that Jesus will work in and through me as I seek to serve and obey Him in this place. That is where I put my hope. These small interactions and conversations will yield the fruit He desires my only job is to simply follow and go where He leads me!