My Experiment

On Sunday, I was sitting in church, listening to the speaker talk to us about service, and how many people in the ward had helped his family when his wife had been very sick. I realized that it had not occurred to me to help them, and I had not been asked, either. Then, I pondered something a friend of mine had said when I commented that I was never asked to help with a wedding. She told me, that she goes up to the people involved and asks how she can help.

I admire this friend greatly. Her house is full of love and laughter. People are always coming over. She is a person that a lot of people consider a good friend, and lots of people seek her out to ask advice or just to tell her about a problem, because she is such a good listener.

On the other hand, our house is a quiet house. No one comes to visit us. No one calls me to see if I want to go to lunch, or shopping, or whatever. My boys, who have autism, are socially awkward and have settled into a routine of getting on their computers and pretty much staying on them from the moment they get home from school until they go to bed (with breaks for dinner and homework).

While I often wish that this was not the case--wish that we had friends to come over, wish that my boys could make neighborhood friends, etc., I am coming to realize that if I want to HAVE friends I have to BE a friend. My life is full enough that this can be difficult.

So, on Sunday while I was listening to the speaker, this idea popped into my head: I would make and take pies to church friends, neighbors, and others. I would do this once a week for a full year. In the process, I would not only perfect my pie-making skills, but I would also take the time to reach out to people. It is my hope that this endeavor will accomplish 3 things:
1. I will regularly take the time to perform a service, and thus learn to make service a regular part of my life.
2. I will get to know lots of new people, as I deliver pies to people outside my bubble of my house, work, and Scouts.
3. I will find a way to expand my children's horizons as well.

So, here goes. On Wednesday I will make my first set of pies. I think I will start with apple pies and take them to one person from church, one neighbor, and maybe one other person. And one for us, of course. I have never understood why doing service for others would involve depriving your family of a delicious dessert.
3.