My Christmas Hat

I look forward to Christmas baking all year long. This year I decided that reaching out to our new neighbors would be my priority. I set the date for baking and distribution early in the season to keep stress low, and then I chose three different offerings--Glazed Ginger Bundt Cake, Wreath Bread, and Cinnamon Rolls. I have made all of them several times and enjoyed eating them. Baking went remarkably smoothly. Not surprisingly, I ran out of butter, but that was easily remedied. Delivery took three rounds, but we eventually got to everyone.

I am not outgoing, so baking something truly special is my way of saying hello without getting stressed. Getting to know my neighbors is something I feel strongly about. This commitment challenges me, because my preference is to "hunker in my bunker." Eventually I might work my way up to a party, but for now I'm happy to imagine the foil coming off and the smiles going on. 

Christ's call to love one another is a real stretcher. He doesn't put limits or guidelines on who to love. When you sit down and really think about it, he calls us to love the torturer as well as the tortured. He calls us to love our bully as well as our savior. He calls us to start right where we are in our lives and neighborhoods and to love everyone indiscriminately. Christmas always presents me with real challenges as I seek to see people the way Jesus does. I'm not very good at it, and sometimes I'm too bitter to listen to the Spirit's helpful hints. It's worth pursuing. Some day we will understand it all.

Pick up the challenge to love this Christmas, even if it's only homemade baked goods.