Sunshine Valley

Sara 2

     Evie was in the middle of makin’ dinner for her dad and Dillon, when her watch alerted her that Sara 2 was about to ring her door bell. “Come in,” she smiled. 

     “Oh, it smells divine in here. I can come back.”

     “Come in. You’re welcomed to stay for dinner.”

     “Oh my,” she sighed. “Your house is so cute. I had to work on that weekend everyone chipped in to help.”

     “I’m so very grateful for everyone. I was in no state of mind to do much.” 

     “What are you fixin’?”

     “Orecchiette with Sausage & Peas.”

     “What is orecchiette?”

     Evie showed her one piece as they talked, “Italian meaning ‘little ears’, it’s shaped like small cups or ears.”

     “Cute!” She exclaimed. “Can I help?”

     “Thanks for the offer, at this point all I have to do is add everything together. Sit. What’s on your mind?” 

     “I loved the way you spoke at breakfast. And I have so many questions.”

     “I’ll try. What would you like to drink? Pop, water, tea, coffee?”

     “Water is fine.” When Evie sat the glass in front of her with the plastic star shaped ice cubes, she squealed, “CUTE!”

     “Thank you.” The doorbell rang. She came back into the kitchen with Dillon and her dad. She introduced everyone. Her dad sat as Dillon sat the table. 

     For Sara, as she watched, Dillon acted like he lived here. He knew where everything was. Even sat a place for her like he knew she was staying. Got drinks, a salad and dressin’ out of the fridge. 

     Everyone sat down. But they didn’t pray over the food. Sara thought that was odd. 

    Jack spoke, “your dad started the new grocery in town? I can’t for the life of me remember his name.”

    She blushed, “yes I am. Ryan.”

     “This is wonderful,” she smiled. 

     “Thank you.”

     “What I wanted to talk to you about? It might be good to have input from you two as well,” she smiled. “I’m struggling with something. Of course, I’ve been praying. But I need someone to talk to. And your words at breakfast have really struck a cord with me. And I was hopin’ to get to talk some more. Your knowledge of the Bible is amazin’.”

     “Thank you. God has put some wonderful teachers in my life.”

     “I feel like.” She forked her dish, “I think, maybe,” she paused. “God might be calling me to preach.”

     Jack snorted, “a woman preacher ain’t right.”

     “I knew it.” She sighed, “Everyone is gonna scream 1 Timothy 2 at me.”

     “What about Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Mary, Priscilla, Phebe, Jesus’s mother Mary, or the Samaritan Woman at the well?” Dillon asked. 

     “Miriam, Deborah, and Huldah,” Evie added.

     Sara looked sheepish, “I don’t understand.”

     “Could the Samaritan woman have been the first female evangelical preacher? She called people to come to Jesus. ‘Come see the man that told me all I ever did’.” Dillon asked. 

     “Evangelicalism is the spreading of the Christian gospel by public preaching or personal witness.” Evie defined. “Mary Magdalene, when she saw Jesus after his resurrection ran to tell the disciples.”

     “But what about 1 Timothy?” Jack asked.

     “When we read the Bible and study it, we completely remove history from it. Most people don’t even think about it. Timothy was preaching in Ephesus. Ephesus was the home of the temple of Artemis. Women were authorities in that branch of pagan worship. I believe Paul was encouraging Timothy to be careful. It was and is, so easy to have one wrong person undermine all the hard work he was doing for Christ. Especially in a pagan worship center.”

     Dillon added, “if Paul truly hated women and gave them little value, why did he recommend Priscilla and Aquila? He mentioned her first. I believe that was a sign of respect. And that she was actually the stronger leader of the two.”

     “You need a mentor.” Evie added.

     Sara asked with excitement, “you?”

     Evie blushed, “while I’m honored. No. You need someone who is a teacher, maybe in seminary. A history teacher, Bible teacher.”

     “But you’re smart.”

     “Thank you. You need someone smarter than me. I don’t think anyone knows the Bible inside and out. There are those who have a better understanding than most. I’m more than happy to have conversations like this one. But on the path you’re meant to walk, I’m not the person you seek.”

     “How about a Bible study group?”

     Jack smiled, “now there’s an idea.”

     “Let’s pray about it and see where God leads us.”

     Sara wiggled in her chair. 

Sunshine Valley