Baking for my neighbor:)

So yesterday Josh and I went to the grocery store, like we do every Sunday, and I had a coupon to use if I bought 2 brownie mixes. I normally bake every 3rd Sunday for the cafe at church and I thought I could make something with the brownie mixes. When we came home we saw our neighbor leaving his apartment. We said hi and kept going up the stairs, but right when we were about to go in our door he asked me to bake something for his friend that is in town and has 3 boys. While I love baking, it was about 7pm Sunday evening when he made this request and I work during the week so baking is normally a thing for the weekend only. I do love baking and enjoy doing it, especially when I don't have to keep what I've baked (I'll just eat it all!). I told Josh that I would probably just "forget" his request and go about my week. I should probably give you a bit of background on my baking history for this neighbor.

He's an older guy, lives alone, and has a few girlfriends. We've heard a few of their arguments on the balcony. It's like a soap opera, quite entertaining. Last Christmas I thought I would do some baking for our 4 neighbors to be nice and honestly to be a witness to them (and because there are a few I don't like and I thought this would help me to feel better about them). I gave my baking neighbor some cookies and he told me what a great baker I was. Since then, he's asked me a few times to bake him something if he had someone in town. I don't mind doing this for him, when it's convenient for me and I have the ingredients. The last time he asked me to bake him some cookies, I did, and then he ended up getting in a fight with his visitor (one of a few girlfriends) so I don't know what happened to the cookies. I must say I was thankful that he later brought my container back and some flowers. I even got a hug from him. While this may seem a bit creepy, I really think that in my own way I'm showing him the love of Christ.

Back to last night; I was tired, had done 4 loads of laundry and needed to fold them, and had to make dinner, dust and mop. I was in no mood to bake for my neighbor. Then I remembered Pastor Mark's sermon earlier that day. His sermon was on doing something to reach out to our community, neighbors, the people we work with. He had specifically mentioned baking cookies for our neighbors. I remembered the extra brownie mix I had and I had everything to make the brownies and frosting. It wasn't convenient for me and I was tired, but I knew I needed to do this. It wasn't homemade, but it was still baking for my neighbor. I hope to have the opportunity to speak with him about Jesus and maybe my baking is just one way to soften his heart and prepare the way for me to tell him about Jesus. I know the Lord works in mysterious ways and maybe my baking is just that.