Someone ordered 18 Joyful Hermit Hermits.  Is taking them to her parish sewing group for a little something different snack.  Since Joyful Hermit prays while baking and packaging each order, prayer concerns are given: health of some of the older women in the group as well as a woman who just lost her husband of many years.

Joyful sets about the baking process, using fresh, organic eggs and trying out a dollop of heather honey.  But it is evening, and the hermit’s pain climbs high, and JH lets the hermits bake 2 minutes beyond their prime.  Two minutes may not seem much, but the cookies appear slightly too dark.  [Not the ones pictured!]

In the morning, Joyful Hermit realizes God surely wants more prayers offered.  Joyful sets about the baking process again, from start to finish.  This time prayers are added for the recipients of the sewing group’s project: “cancer pads” for cancer patients.  Many prayers offered for all who suffer with cancer!

The Joyful Hermit Hermits exit the oven just right!  The slightly darker versions will provide JH with healthy, sumptuous breakfast and snack fare in days ahead.  The just-right hermit cookies are packaged for the women who gather each week to sew cancer pads.  These cookies needed purposeful packaging for such a noble cause.

Presentation is important.  It really is–along with process.  How we do something whether it is praying, thinking, eating, working, sleeping, living–truly matters.  And how we present anything, be it ourselves, our projects, our goods and services, matters as well. 

Joyful calls it living omnia pro Deo, or all for God.  In this way, all thoughts and actions with or without tangible results, are gifts and offerings to God, shared with others.  Paying attention to details can make all the difference.  It does not have to be expensive or take hours and hours, but inspiration comes from God and is simply packaged and presented.

Often one idea can extend to another…yet personalized.  Nothing needs to be done the same way.  Creation is unique.  And if the idea takes a little time, or is rather simplistic like cutting out little letters to form a word or two, ponder the days in kindergarten, learning to cut neatly.  What a joy!  Praise God for the gift of sight, and for colors, and being able to paste!  Or if none of these, praise God for whatever it is that you are able to do…but do your very best!  Do it with prayer and thanksgiving! 

Do all as a gift to God and to God-in-others, whether a best-ever smile, a school paper put together neatly, or a squirt of whipped cream on a pancake.  How we package ourselves, too, is important.  We are presenting ourselves as the beautiful creation God has made, and each “package” is unique, holy, and full of love and life!  Our voices, eyes, smiles, listening ears, cleanliness, posture, neatness, modesty, kind thoughts, gentle touches, encouraging words–all these are presentations, too!  Package and present with purpose!