Neighborly Love...

As I’ve started getting ready to move into my new house I’ve spent some time working in the yard trying to get things cleaned up and have had the chance to meet a handful of my neighbors, one family in particular. Michelle, her husband, her three kids, and her new granddaughter all live next door. I’ll admit I am excited to be in a neighborhood and have “real” neighbors, but it’s certainly going to take some getting used to. Being in an apartment the last three years have made it all too easy to shut myself off from other people – things are already changing. I have a feeling God is getting ready to teach me a whole heck of a lot about loving my neighbor…literally.

The Bible describes love like this:

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Patience. Tessa, Michelle’s youngest daughter, has already shown me the importance of patience – and I’m sure God will continue to grow my ability to love people with patience through this relationship. The first day I came down to the house to work, Tessa popped her little head around the fence and asked if she could come help. So, she pulled weeds and dug up dead plants with me for a little bit. Laura (my best friend – who is awesome and has already been a HUGE help with this “re-vamping” project) and I were trying to put together a list of what I needed to grab at the store and Tessa ran over and said “Can I go with you to the store!” I’ll admit it was cute, but she is only 9 years old – when I was 9 I would have been scared to death to ride in a “strangers” car. I told her I wasn’t going until morning, so not this time. A little later she blurted out to Laura and me that she hadn’t taken her medicine – and she named it, but I couldn’t tell you what it was or what it was for. I looked at Laura (who happens to have some medical knowledge, since she is an RN…) and she told me it was pretty much for ADD. It’s kind of sad that a child has to be medicated because she is “hyper” – makes me wonder if it’s just an easy out for some parents? Something a little more patience could have solved? Later on Tessa told me she was glad I was moving in and was excited to have someone to spend time with – and that is exactly what she said “spend time with”. Interesting. It will be neat to see what God does with this situation. I’m certainly praying about it.

As far as Michelle’s son and other daughter, I’ve not had a chance to learn a whole lot about them. I know R.J. likes to skate and K is a new mommy. Hopefully I’ll have opportunities to learn more about each of them.