Sacrificial Hospitality: Week 1 RESULTS

I rose bright and early, before the sun, on Tuesday morning and headed to my kitchen. I donned a pretty apron and set out ingredients to begin a marathon baking and cooking session. First on my list? Apple cinnamon muffins for Farmer Joe.

I mixed up my batter and, while the oven finished preheating, I started a pot of vanilla coffee- regular, not decaf, because unlike me Farmer Joe is not expecting. :) My kitchen started to smell divine and, as my spirits lifted, my voice rose in song. My 4-year old was my ever-willing assistant and the once frigid room quickly warmed up with the muffins in the oven.

Within a half-hour, the coffee was poured in a thermos, the muffins were fresh from the oven, and I was ready to head out to see Farmer Joe.



As luck would have it, those first bands of light were just appearing over the horizon and I knew he'd be heading for his tractor any minute.

I was there when he got there.

I actually think he was afraid something was wrong at first... which to me meant I don't do this kind of thing enough. When I handed him the coffee and warm muffins, his cheeks turned pink and a shy smile crossed his big face. Since it was still only in the teens, I knew some warmth would be welcome. He thanked me- several times- and promised to return the basket and thermos (as if I had worries or doubts! ;) ). I headed back to our house to return to my baking marathon...

The cost of all this? Well under a dollar of cash and a half hour or so of my time.

The benefit? A much brighter morning for me and, hopefully, for Farmer Joe. Also, I hope my actions may serve as an example to my children of the joy of hospitality and having a giving, thoughtful spirit.

Did any of you surprise a neighbor? Did you reach out in a way you might not ordinarily? I'd love to hear about it. Please share in the comments or, if you've blogged about it, leave a link so I can stop by and read about it.

For more information about my Lenten journey, click here.

To find out what I'll be taking on as a challenge this upcoming week, be sure to stop by later today.