I went to the Newman Center today and enjoyed visiting with the young adults. I love to hear their outlook on life in their current state of being. Some have a deep faith, others are searching. Today I was especially enthralled watching one of the young men preparing the turkey for tomorrow’s Friendsgiving dinner. He had brined the bird, then split it in half and place it face down – a technique called “spatchcock”. When I went into the kitchen, he was preparing a compound butter. He poured some drippings from a frying pan into the mixing bowl. I asked where the drippings came from. He said he had cut off a small piece of turkey and fried it to make sure it was brined correctly. It was. After the butter was mixed, he placed it in between the skin and the meat of the turkey and spread it all over the outside as well. He cut up an onion and place it around the turkey with some fresh herbs. Then it went back into the refrigerator, ready to be cooked tomorrow. I asked how he learned to cook so well. The young man replied that he learned it all on YouTube. When he was younger, he said he had a lot of extra time. He wondered what he could do that would be productive and positive. He figured he liked to eat, so he should learn to cook. He also enjoyed that he could cook things for other people and help them out that way. Instead of wasting time on media or getting into trouble, he discovered a useful and delicious outlet that makes him happy and those he shares it with. That reminded me of today’s Gospel reading. A wealthy man went away and gave his servants part of his money with the understanding that they would use it to obtain more for him. When he returned, those who earned more for him were praised. The one who did nothing at all with the money was punished. Similarly, God entrusts us with gifts and talents that are unique to us. We should be using those gifts for the benefit of others. That is exactly what the young chef was doing.

I Found God today in a young man who was an amazing chef.