When You Give Someone a Cookie

The other night I was reading Lisa Whittle's post. She always makes me think. It was about how one of her dear friends didn't like her initially. Ouch. But this woman decided to pray for her. Now, she is one of those friends that Lisa can call any time.

I had taped a show Friday night called Flashpoint. It's a new cop type show. Given that everything else is reruns, I decided to tape it. I finally got around to watching it. Here's the storyline. A man gets the page letting him know that he should rush his daughter to the hospital for a heart transplant. They get there and settled in only to find out that there was a mix up and the heart is going to someone else. The dad has been up for three days straight in a vigil over his dying daughter. The stress breaks him. He grabs a security guy's gun and takes hostages.

Of course, that is when they call in the team. I haven't watched it enough to know the names of everyone yet. But "Head Guy" goes in to negotiate with him. Others are watching him on the monitor. The dad wants the TV turned back on for his daughter. Rule #1, never give a hostage taker anything without getting something in return. So, Head Guy asks dad to ask each person if they are okay. He does this but skips the man on gurney who is slated to get the heart. Head Guy says, "What about him? Is he okay?" He encourages dad to ask him.

The rest of the team who are watching debrief this for us. It turns out that one of the tactics is to make the hostage into a person. By having dad ask the hostage if he is okay, the hostage begins to become a person rather than a means to an end.

Lisa's post fit right in with this. It made me think of work. One woman works in another office. One day when I was still very new, she came in the back door, walked to my desk, and demanded that I look something up for her. I was in the process of leaving and I was use to people going to the counter. I got really flustered and was offended by her tone. I managed to find what she needed but decided that I didn't like her at all. After she left, they explained who she was and all, but it didn't help me liking her.

A couple months ago I made my famous chocolate chip cookies. (I'm probably overly proud of them.) I took some to the office. As I was taking a short break, God prompted me to put three on a little plate and take them down to this woman. From that time forward, every time I walk by she waves. If she comes into the office, she stops to talk to me. When you give someone a cookie or a prayer or a smile, sometimes you forge a connection because you have made them human.

I've probably used this C.S. Lewis quote before, but I think it sums things up so nicely that I'll use it again.

It is a serious thing to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship or else a horror and a corruption such as you meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long, we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or the other of these destinations. It is in the light of those overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealing with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people.

When we remember another's humanness, we treat them with more humanity. When we remember that they may have things going on in their lives that we know nothing about, we can respond with mercy and kindness. When we treat them with respect even when we might not feel respected, we give them dignity. When we offer kindness, we never know what doors God will open up.

Recovery

I have never been what one might call organized. I envy people who are. Still, Lysa said that any of us could participate and I can't resist even if it is slightly embarrassing! So, I'm participating in the swap and hop.

Not being organized was learned at a young age, so it is a very hard habit to break. My mom would say, "Clean your room." At 10, I interpreted this as "Put everything under your bed." My mom never thought to look there, so I never got in any trouble for it.

It has caused more stress as I've gotten older and had to deal with adult things rather than the box of collected rocks, dolls, yarn, and other odds and ends. I spend a good deal of time looking for things. While I am trying to get better at this, it isn't going so well.

I've been working at Barnes and Noble as a sub. I started there over the holidays to pay for Christmas. The one idea I've gotten from them is RECOVERY. Everyone who works there typically hates it, but I think it has it's merits. It happens periodically through out the day, but more intensely at night the hour before the store closes and the half hour or so after the store closes. Basically, it is thoughtfully helping all the books find their homes again. Here is how it goes:

• The store is broken into zones. Everyone gets a zone to concentrate on.
  


• Everything has a home.
  


• You carry a PDT (little computer) and scan the books without homes to find where they go.



• Said books get put in their proper places.



• To really do a good job, you actually run your hand along each shelf of books and straighten them. If there are big gaps, you face some books out. (Especially your favorite authors that you might know!) Authors don't pay for this like they do space in the front of the store. It's all up to the bookseller.

I need to apply these principles at home. If I did, it would look like this:

• Everything has a home



• Do a zone or room a day

This is what my life actually looks like:

When company comes I use boxes and bags to get that into:

And then the table looks like this:

I had to do this today because I have a friend's two boys coming for the weekend. Jill is speaking at Hearts at Home. (Please pray for that.) My annual contribution is keeping her kids for her. Hence the cookies.

I've had it suggested before that when I bake, I should make extra and freeze the dough. So, I did do that today as well. It's freezing right now. (Balanced a bit precariously, but I know not to open the door quickly.) In a bit, I'll put them in a container.

The other thing I do manage to do, is keep files on the computer organized. My pictures are in files labeled by year or type like "Shots to use on the web." My emails are also organized by ones I want saved: Blog tech tips, Blog info, Names of Friends, etc. I can manage to do that but not the physical organization on a regular basis.

I'm blessed that even thought I'm not organized, God manages to use me anyway.

I need to run. I have two boys to pick up and entertain for the weekend! Can't wait for a chance to peruse your ideas!