Deer Stew Delivery Lady

When we visited my sister's family in Montana this past summer, one of the things that really struck me was how my sister was continually sharing baked goodies with her neighbors. Sometimes she walked them over, and sometimes she sent her son or daughter by motorcycle; but several times there were warm cinnamon rolls or some other goodie on their way to the neighbors.

Being the naturally shy person that I am (did you guess?), this struck me as an excellent way to get to know my neighbors back in Minnesota and begin to build relationships with them. I learned in a personal evangelism class in college that most people who begin a relationship with the Lord do so as a result of a close friend introducing them to Him, rather than through a convention or tract (though those are certainly good, too). And bringing yummy food over is a great way to start a friendship!

I've started doing this at home. Just last week, I brought cookies over to our new neighbor. She seemed pleasantly surprised, asking, "What, are you just bringing cookies over to everyone today?" And it makes me feel more comfortable going over just to chat, because the cookies have opened a door, you could say, for a friendship to begin.

My point in sharing this is to spark you to cultivate purposeful relationships with your neighbors, and to share an easy way to begin: bringing over yummy treats. Check out my sister's post, Deer Stew Delivery Lady, to see how she does it.