Lent Day 4 (Day 350 of experiment)

Scripture: Ps 25:1- 9; Genesis 9:8-17; 1 Peter 3:18-22; Mark 1:9-15


Scripture standout: This is my favorite Psalm of all time...my number one, Top 40 hit:


Psalm 25: "⁴ Show me your ways, LORD, 
   teach me your paths.
⁵ Guide me in your truth and teach me,
   for you are God my Savior,
   and my hope is in you all day long."

His Deed/The Day: Deep down at my core, I am a loner nerd. I enjoy solitude. A day of bliss for me involves staring at my toes with a long stretch of silence playing in the background. The social exchanges I enjoy most are the ones I have with my Housewives friends on Bravo, with my BFF Chardonnay and her sidekick, Cheese Puff.


Today in church I was on a sugar low, praying for the service to end so I could eat. I even ate  Riccola to see if I could suck some sustenance out of it. I was digging around in my purse for it when I noticed her: a church visitor. The urge came swiftly, and certainly. It said, "Hey Loner Nerd...stop being a goob and welcome this gal to All Saints." We hear about this all the time in church meetings: "Make sure you make new people feel welcome. Make sure you get their names. Be friendly."


 Uggh. Not my bag. 


When church ended with our weekly "Right on!" I mustered my social graces and asked her if she was new to the church. (And yes, it felt awkward, and stalky) I was waiting for her to say, "Uh, no. I've been coming here for three years. But indeed, she was new. In fact, she lives in the apartment underneath David's Dad. David and I talked her for a little bit and encouraged her to come back. She said she would.


It wasn't that hard — welcoming someone. Even though my lady friends in Atlanta, Beverly Hills, 

Orange County 

and New York (even the ones in New Jersey) 

are great company for this Recluse-Wannabee, be present with real people yields real connections.


Deedsclosure: True statement: the grocery store checkout line is a portal to the do-gooding universe. Opportunities abound! Next time you're in the line, "checkout" all the deeder BOGOs lurking there. 


First, look behind you. After you've schlepped all your junk on the conveyer, see who's preparing to unload behind you. Could it be a grocery store scooter cart? A man with his arm in a cast? A mother whose toddler is losing it? Don't worry...Winn-Dixie won't throw you out for being a bagger imposter if you help empty someone's cart. Just do it! 


Two, you can consider an offering to the take-a-penny-share-a-penny bowl. 


Three, the cashier often provides an opportunity to tack on an extra $1 for a charity the store is showcasing that month. I used to hate it when the cashier would ask me. I felt annoyed, and pressured. I often said no. Now, I say yes — every time. In fact, I long for the offer because it gives me great relief that a deed for the day was accomplished. 


Four, the bagger. Baggers used to also bug me. "Do you need some help out to your car?" My immediate internal response was always something like, "Does it LOOK like I need help out to my car? I'm not 40 yet, buster! I can handle it!!!" Now, I say yes. I started imagining how much it probably sucks to stand there and bag groceries for long stretches. How nice must an opportunity to go outside and breathe fresh air be? So that's what I assume now. I assume that this person wants a break — maybe it's nice to provide someone a few minutes to walk around, get some sunlight and feel like they helped some old lady out to their car.