Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Love Thy Neighbor

Last Thursday the window guy was coming and I didn't remember exactly what time so we opted to stay home and wait for him. While the little kids were sleeping, Jack and I made some chocolate chip cookies. The Martha Stewart in me (time rarely allows her to show herself anymore) thought "we should make little packages of cookies for the neighbors and attach our contact information." I had visions of delivering brightly colored chinese-takeout-style containers complete with coordinating tissue paper and hand written cards to each of our neighbors, welcoming them to the neighborhood, congratulating them on pregnancies, new babies, etc. Given that I don't have the time or courage (remember this adventure?) to take my children into a Michael's to find those oh-so-adorable containers let alone write personalized cards for each of the neighbors, we ended up with 6 cookies (my original goal was a dozen each, but we didn't have enough chocolate chips and/or we have too many new neighbors) in a Ziploc with a 1/4 sheet of paper stapled on the top. It doesn't even have a bow or a picture or anything. The final result does not live up to my expectations at all.

Despite that, it has provided a good lesson for Jack who thinks we should keep all the cookies. As I was packaging up the cookies he kept whining about how we needed some for us and we couldn't give them all away. The first scripture he memorized was Mark 12:30 - Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. This gives me a chance to teach him the next verse - Love your neighbor as yourself.


Carefully measuring and packing the brown sugar

Showing off his apron

Getting ready to scoop dough onto the cookie sheet

Before anyone thinks I'm a terribly mean mother making my son give away the cookies he worked so hard to make, I should let you know that I let him enjoy one of the most delicious things life has to offer...licking the beater.

2 comments:

Lorie Crandall said...

such a great idea! did you get to meet any of them?

Beckie said...

I assembled three packages, but only delivered two: both the neighbors we'd already met, but now they have our contact info at least. I am going to bake some more soon and we'll do the rest of the neighbors. It's surprisingly awkward walking up to someone's house to introduce yourself. The neighbors right next door are super nice and in exchange for cookies, they brought us some home made pickles! I can't wait to try them.