For several days I’ve been keeping my sourdough active, ready for the right mixing moment. Late Wednesday I decided to get my hands into some dough, and mix a batch of homemade yumminess for Thursday night. If you want sourdough from scratch, you have to think 20 hours ahead.
My arm muscles got a workout and the physical movements cleared my mind and allowed me to shift into prayer. I do love the miracle of making bread.
Fast forward hours and hours and it’s time to score, and bake, and figure out what to do with that extra loaf. I almost posted a facebook status, hoping someone would be in the neighborhood, want to swoop by, and relieve me of a giving adventure. Giving is an adventure–especially when there’s NO plan.
AHA! I thought. Three weeks ago there was a raffle at school, and my little one needed to sell tickets. We scurried door to door, and at one house we met a new family who had recently moved in. I felt awful that our first meeting was all about exchanging $10 bills, so have wanted to bring them a proper Bread Welcome. Here was our chance.
But they weren’t home. At this point, I honestly wanted to return to the house and settle back into introvert world. I prefer weeding over meeting new people.
But we spied a gentleman down the road who was tinkering with the engine of his VW van. John Ronan was at my side, and he bounded down the road, shouting out hellos. I followed with a bagged loaf of bread. (Isn’t it pretty?!!!)
Twenty minutes later, after a full tour of the VW van, its two sleeping compartments, a peek at the engine, a few stories of trips to Canada and Mexico, some fiddling with the cool cup holders, radio, etc and a last exchange about my daughter who plays piano at all hours and whom the neighbors adore… well, I finally dragged the little one away, promising we’d return another time for another van adventure. We had met a new friend, put a name to a face of a man we’ve been living near for over a dozen years… Once again, this giving proves…
That chatting with neighbors is better than weeding!
That giving is better than just about anything…
Cheers, friends!
The Woman and the Wheat 
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I have fond memories of camping in friends’ vw camper when I was 10 and 11! Sweet story, thank you for following John Ronan that way.
It looks beautiful, but in the bag…it makes the loaf look small. ♥ I also have wonderful memories of a trip we took in the VW camper van borrowed from friends! No picture of the VW??
Yes, it does look small, but it wasn’t! 🙂
I don’t like to take my camera around when doing the giving–don’t want to freak anyone out or make myself out to be some creepy neighbor invading privacy, etc…
I’ve always dreamed of having a VW camper and going on adventures. What fun that you friends have had these experiences!
I am so hungry now. AH THAT SOURDOUGH BREAD IS THE BEST.
So, Jane, thank you for your story. I feel teary, actually, because much of my job entails getting out of my introverted self and reaching out in love to others. But with that outreach comes blessing (most of the time). It is something God calls us to do, and since it is out of our comfort zone, we have to do it in His strength, not our own. This is part of the gift, relying on Him and not on ourselves. Ok, here I go!