| My heart goes out to the little turkeys this year. It used to be a good strategy: Stay small and the bigger guys will go first. Then 2020. Small holiday gatherings mean small gobblers go premium. Sorry my mini feathered friends.
I’m thankful, nonetheless, as Americans celebrate Thanksgiving today. I’m grateful to God for food and Muslims and particularly for when the two have overlapped in my life.
- . . .for the Palestinian couple in Jordan who served my friends and me watermelon before the sun had risen.
- . . .for Mrs. Memon who warmed my heart, but burned my tongue with her spicy treats.
- . . .for the Turkish family in Konya who served fried eggs and warm baklava to AnnMarie and me.
- . . .for the Kurdish family who called our little band up from the street in Istanbul as we wandered during an airline layover to feed our bodies and souls.
- . . .for the Muslim missionaries-in-training in Malaysia who served a mountain of chicken and rice to my pastor, my friend, my dad and me.
- . . .for our dear neighbor lady in Bradford who welcomed us to the neighborhood with some of the kindest and tastiest curry of my life.
- . . .for the guys at the mosque in Frankfort who insisted I eat first after Ramadan even though I’d eaten and drank liberally all day.
- . . .for every Bengali entrepreneur who’s ever served my teams and me kebabs. You saved our tummies and our budgets.
- . . .for my dear Gambian friends in Catania who introduced me to domoda, the peanut, tomato and potato stew that sounds impossibly odd, but is certain to be a delicious staple of Heavenly cuisine.
Shukron, teshekur, grazie mille, thank you.
Congratulations to Leah from Oklahoma, the random winner of the $100 Amazon gift card celebrating the 200th edition of Muslim Connect. Leah’s been reading since nearly the beginning and she and her husband have eaten domoda, walked miles and prayed for God’s kingdom with me in Sicily. Thank you to the dozens who shared and wrote in response to the last issue. I appreciate you! |
