Use What You Have

I met a new-to-town mom about my age the other day. Not unusual in our little town where it seems like everyone is a transplant and everyone leaves after a couple of years. However I recognized the lonely look on her face and remembered how hard it was for me to move away from my life in MN and friends there to here just a few years ago (and I had the benefit of it being my hometown where I grew up and my parents still being here!)

I felt like blessing this gal, but wasn't sure how to go about it. I didn't have the time to bake something up or make a whole meal and yet I wanted to do something more than just give her a card. Then I remembered that our refrigerator was full to bursting with fruit from great fruit sales last week. It is a major rarity that we have lots of fruit on hand because all of our fruit is trucked in and is usually expensive. There usually isn't a lot of variety either. But, I just happened to have tons of grapes, cantalope, peaches, apples and bananas on hand and so I put together a little fruit basket using a basket from my gift stash. It probably took me all of 3 minutes to put the basket together and yet what a blessing fruit is, especially when you have young children who eat a lot of it! She was so happy when we dropped it off.

This project was a reminder to me that we don't have to hesitate to be hospitable because we don't have a lot of money or a lot of time. Blessing others doesn't have to take a lot of creativity and energy. If God lays on your heart a certain person to encourage, go for it and use what you have available! Do you have time? Spend time on the phone with a lonely soul. Do you have money? Give to a family with a very real financial need. Do you have extra spaghetti sauce? Surprise your friend and share some so she can make a quick supper (by the way I write this because this is exactly what my friend did for me tonight!) Do you know an elderly person who would love to have a visit from some little children? Take yours over for a visit! Do you have lots of chocolate? Send it to this majorly-addicted blogger! *s* Are you friendly and talkative? Offer friendship to someone who could use one.

One other way I used what I had this week is when I wanted to pay my mom back for rushing over here on a moment's notice after a long, busy day teaching school to babysit my 3 little ones so I could go for a much-needed visit to the chiropracter. I knew it was a sacrifice for my mom and even though she never expects favors or payment for babysitting I wanted to bless her in return for saving me so I thought about what I had on hand. I remembered that I had a bunch of grilled chicken in the fridge, a large bag of potatoes, and of course, you guessed it, fruit! So, I threw together a simple meal, complete with warm brownies fresh from the oven and she picked it up the next evening on her way home. She absolutely hates to cook and I love to cook so it's the best kind of payment to give her a meal!

*Our internet/phone lines have been on and off (mostly off) for 4 days this week so my blog is getting neglected! But not for lack of post ideas! Blogging sure is addicting for those of us who like to write!

**I've so enjoyed the embarrassing stories! Keep 'em coming if you have more! I have gotten so many belly laughs out of reading them!