Time or Technique

What is your favorite meal? Take a moment to imagine it in all its yumminess. What would you give to have a plate or bowl of that goodness? How does thinking about it make you feel? Now imagine having to make it yourself while you are famished! Would it take too long to be ready or do you have some cheffing skills to pull it off in a jiffy. While you ponder on that enjoy a shot of what my preferred plate may look like.

Rev picked up his daughter and I from an amazing church service. Our campus ministry choir had gone to partake of and minister at one of our church branches. We shared our experiences with him as he was the pastor of that branch. It was definitely an amazing service and different from what we were accustomed to on campus.

As we enjoyed the ride he asked if we would like to grab a bite before he dropped us off but we declined the offer since we couldn’t wait to get to our hostel (we were roomies). We needed to catch some much needed rest and prepare for our busy week ahead. Our conversation progressed to discussing our delicacies and how they were made. Just then Rev asked an interesting question: “Does great food take more time to cook or is it dependent on who cooks it?” We burst out laughing because we were not sure what answer he was expecting (PS: His wife is a caterer and an amazing one at that). His daughter answered that great food does takes time to make. I responded that it depended on the person cooking. He seemed to agree with me (go me✌🏼🤣) reiterating that every good chef had time-slashing techniques up their sleeve.

Our conversation on food ended there on that day but I thought about it again recently and that birthed this post. When you watch cookery game shows like Master Chef, Chopped and Hell’s Kitchen, you appreciate how much employing skills and technique in cooking can save chefs a great deal of time. However if you also watch culinary lifestyle shows you realize that some cultural delicacies like a Greek lamb, a beef bourguignon or Boston baked beans can take a extended amount of time to make, even with great technique.

Food enthusiasts would say that slow cooking certain types and portions of meat give you the ‘melt-in-your-mouth’ effect. Even the most experienced chefs would rather not compromise time in making such meals that require slow cooking . Who doesn’t want their food to exhibit great texture and attain an unmistakable depth of flavour?

Envisage this; a young energetic graduate taking courses and training in fields that are not in the will of God for their life. How about trying to improve oneself for a promotion at a job where you constantly feel unfulfilled. Much worse, how much time wouldn’t you be wasting trying out every viable career path or seemingly lucrative business venture depending solely on socio-economic trends or vainglory.

Wouldn’t you rather plug into the mind of God and discover what His blueprint for your life is through His manual, the Bible. Just like in cooking, using professional techniques no matter how skilled you are requires you to be apt with timing. It’s great to acquire training/skill and to pursue growth and self improvement. We however need to be in tune with Gods plan and will for our lives through guidance from his word and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. Ecclesiastes 9:11

Whoa! That was quite a mouthful to spill. All this musing about food sure made me hungry. Okay fried🤦🏽‍♀️ (I meant friend😂😂😂. This actually happened-autocorrect). Ensure that you be deliberate about enriching and nourishing yourself constantly, not just physically but also spiritually with the word of God. Even so, do not forget that great things could take time. When the time is right and your season is ripe, may your turn not pass you by because you were spotted unprepared.

Love, Esinam.

🕊 In memory of Rev. Patrick Opare Obuobisa 🕊