Lent Day 24 (Day 370 of Experiment)

Scripture: Ps 87, 90, 136; Genesis 47:27—48:7; 1 Corinthians 10: 1-13; Mark 7:1-23


Scripture standout: 1 Corinthians 10: "And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted^[d] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,^[e] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."


Mark 7: ¹⁵ Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” ^[16]"


His Deed/The Day: For some reason, and I'm not at all sure why, I have this 80s commercial jingle running through my head. Don't you just love random thoughts — especially ones that bring back memories of those crazy, tube socks and tight jorts wearin' 1980s? 

I started to wonder if somehow this jingle might somehow fit into daily deeding. I'll take it — perhaps this is a little inspiration for the final 30 days of the experiment.


Let's be real, as in Real Coke. A cold Coke tastes super duper good when you're hot and tired. I grew up in a family that bottled Coca-Cola — it was around all the time! We bled Coke. I thought Pepsi was the ever mysterious "p-word." If you didn't stand up for your Coke allegiance at Mr. Gattis or Chili's and snub the server's offer of Pepsi in lieu of Coke, you came very close to being off the family team. Coke, as it were, was it.


And it still is! Who doesn't appreciate a cold Coke on a warm day? So for today's deed, and maybe for a few others during the next 30 days, I'm going to reclaim my Coke heritage. I'm going to buy a six-pack of cold Cokes and pass them out to people who look like they need one. 


Deedclosure: Keeping an item, a gift, like Coke in your car is something to consider for daily deeding. I have several friends who buy $5 gift cards to the local grocery store and stash them in the glove box for those "moments." In fact, just the other day I was getting in my car and this guy in the parking lot asked me for some spare change. If I'd just had a gift card or — geez, a cold Coke, even — that would have been better than the uncomfortable no I gave him before zipping off on my afternoon errands. I have another friend who kept small brown bags filled with snack bars and little do-dads, some water and handwritten notes of encouragement from her children. She'd hand those out if someone asked. I have not been good about keeping "deeding dollars" in my car, but I should. Perhaps this first step with the Cokes will help me manage that a little better.