The "LYN" Challenge

Here is your Christmas Challenge.
(I think this may be one of my best, simple ideas EVER.)
I'm calling it:

The "LYN" Challenge


(which is just shorthand for "Love Your Neighbors")

Here's how it works. You need a pencil and paper to do this.
Really. Stop right now and get a pencil and paper.
I'll wait...
Good. Here we go:

1. Draw your street down the middle of the paper.
2. Now draw your house right in the center of the page. Just a simple box.
3. Draw as many of your neighbors houses/apartments as you can picture in your mind. Really try to imagine their home.
4. Now, write as many names of your neighbors as you can. Whole names, "Bob and Mary Smith."
5. Your not done yet. Now write what you have done for your neighbors so they might see the love of God through you.

Now if you really have done this, which 99% of you didn't, you're probably already feeling a bit convicted. If you didn't write this out, you're glad you didn't!
Why do you need another layer of guilt in your life, right?

But PLEASE, I'm begging you, do this exercise.

And now do this: Put the map on your fridge, or on your desk, and now over the next month, just fill in as many blanks as you can.

• Today, find out who lives next door, and write their names on your map.
• This weekend, invite a neighbor over for coffee. (Just make sure it's good coffee.)
  
• Next week, hand make some invitations to church, and drop them off at the 10 homes/neighbors closest to you.
• Bake an extra dozen cookies and drop them off to the new family a few doors down.

Image the difference you can make in your neighborhood if you just fill in a few blanks this Christmas. You can learn the names of a dozen of your neighbors.
You can show Jesus' love in some wonderfully tangible ways.

I have to say, I love this idea.
I love this idea so much I'm not letting this one pass.
I am going to challenge you, and challenge my church, and challenge our home groups to take the "LYN" challenge.

Hey, it's Christmas. What better excuse to Love Your Neighbor a bit more intentionally the next month.