Leave the Sugar, Pass the Care Package

Today my task is twofold and one has nothing to do with the other.

Last night I made cookies for Luke's friends because whenever they come over, that is what I do.  Only this time, I happened to eat several (understatement) of them as my dinner.   It seemed rational at the time (perfectly rational, since I'm trying to lose my baby weight...sigh).   I'm actually writing this at two am because the sugar is waging a big war on my body.

Sugar 10.  Body ZIP.   I feel awful.

Today- I vow to have no sugar.  I'm not talking about the natural sugars or how bread turns into sugar when its digested.  I'm talking about my Starbucks cup of sugar.  The rest of the cookies I made sugar.  The bowl of sugar I eat every day in the form of cereal type of sugar.  You know, expanding waistline type of sugar.  Tomorrow (and maybe the rest of the week) I'm saying goodbye to the grainy white stuff.   

However, I can't blame sugar for all my restlessness.

I've been wondering how to handle *publicly* here on the blog and on FB my 31 Things experiences that are acts of service.  I want to share this journey with you but I also want to be humble.  I don't want to exploit others just so I can talk about ways I brightened their day.  How self serving is that?  I don't want my "love does," as Bob Goff says, to be about me.   Yes, I believe I will be transformed by loving others but that is the byproduct of love in action.  Even though that's the part I'm going to want to share with you, my transformation, I'm not so sure I'm properly loving people if I exploit the love I give them.

Not all my 31 things is going to altruistic.   Some are fun.  Some are easy because Lord knows I'll need some freebies.  Some- and the ones that mean the most to me- are going to be acts of service and kindness.  Here's why:

I'm ok to fail at being a Christian.  However, the older I get, I'm finding it hard to be ok about failing Jesus.  I'm realizing that the mere fact that I have to schedule times to take care of His children means that I'm failing Him...on a regular basis (My eyes just welled up- true story.)   And so on those days that I serve Jesus by being intentional about loving His people,  I'm not going to give you all much detail. Its my journey and I don't need to give you every detail.   At first I had a hard time with that idea because I want to be open with my readers.  How can you be encouraged to do the same?  But I think its enough for me to tell you "hey- today I'm loving someone."  I think you'll know I'm not just trying to make friendly chatter with my Barista.  I'm past that.    And I'll trust that if its in your heart to do a random act of kindness....you'll do it despite the details of mine. 

And so the second part of my day is going to be:  Send out a care package.

I'm not telling you whats in it, who its for and why I think they need it.  
I'll only say I hope my package arrives on a day when this family needs it most.
In turn, I'll share with you my prayer:

Jesus- tell me what to put in the box.   

-Mary Kay
PS.  Yes I always exploit Beckys story...but we're trying to get peoples attention....people knowing her story is good.   Just needed to clarify that.