Loving Your Neighbor

"Raise your hand if you know the name(s) of the neighbor to the right of you" No hands went up.  "Now raise your hand if you know the name(s) of the neighbor to your immediate left" Still no hands went up. "Ok. Now raise your hand if you know the names of any single person or animal that lives on your street" Not a single hand was raised.  Sunday School was profoundly quiet that morning. I felt justified in the fact that we had just moved into our rental home, and we had a legitimate excuse not to know our neighbors.  So what was everyone else's excuses? How can they NOT know the names of their neighbors?

Raised in a small farm town in Iowa, I knew everybody on my street and all the streets around me.  I could walk down any street in town (all one square mile of it) and could tell you at least the first or last name of most of the people living in the houses.  I could probably even tell you some of their telephone numbers.  I knew every child enrolled in my class and the classes below and above me.  If a stray animal came into my yard, I knew what house it belonged to.  It's just the way it was.  I never thought twice about it.  I could not understand how I could not know these people. Even though I have been away from that small town for 15 years, I can almost bet that if I walked into the grocery store I would know at least five people.  Knowing your neighbor is a piece of cake. I totally got this.

About 6 months later, I was working at Petco and a family approached me to purchase a guinea pig.  As I was helping them get their purchase together, I noticed the parents were looking at me in a strange way. "This is a little awkward but are you our neighbor?"  They did not look familiar to me whatsoever.  I had never seen them before.  "Surely not, I would recognize you!" As they described my house, my car and even said "Yes, your house is the blue house with the Siamese cat that sits in the front window!"  Busted! I did not know my neighbor.  Not only did I not know them, I didn't even recognize them. It may not seem like a big deal but it bothered me immensely that I didn't recognize their faces.  

What had changed in my life that I didn't know the family that lived right next door to me?  Conviction devoured me. Over the next few days the Holy Spirit continually put my neighbors on my heart.  It was so easy to minister to those in the church that came to me for help.  It was second nature to whip up a sunday school lesson and teach on the spot. I thrived living life with church members that I love so dearly.  What about those who lived next door to me that desperately needed truth?  One night Richard and I began to earnestly pray for our neighbors.  We prayed for opportunities to meet them and become apart of their lives.  We prayed for opportunities to meet their needs and hopefully reach them with the Gospel.

A month later the neighbor across the street backed his truck into Richard's car. My first instinct was to spaz out but I calmly walked across the street and knocked on the door.  After finalizing insurance details, he asks if my husband's name is Richard.  Wait...What? Why yes.. yes it is.   He tells me that he is in the National Guard and Richard use to preach every week and he remembered seeing him there. Richard has had coffee with him in our home several times since.   His dog's name is Bear.

I found out that the neighbor to our left works for a business that I consult with on a daily basis. We have been invited to every birthday and cookout they have had in their home for the last four years.   Her children can always be found playing in our backyard. They always greet me when I pull into the driveway and last year they each made us a homemade Christmas card.  Her dog's names are Boss and Lea.

One day a little girl knocked on our door holding a Guinea Pig that didn't feel very well. I'll give you a guess who that was.  Our neighbor's to the right. I was invited over and quickly discovered the Guinea Pig was not getting any Vitamin C.  They also have a pet snake and a turtle. I have pet-sat for them on numerous occasions until the family moved to a new home.  Their dog's name was CoCo. 

A new group of individuals moved in next door.  Three young men. I knew I couldn't just walk over there and knock on the door so I prayed for opportunity.  Our landlord for whatever reason began to mow their yard when he mowed ours. One day a girlfriend of one of the men approached me.  She thanked me for mowing their yard.  They had recently received some very bad news about one of their friends and appreciated the gesture.  Conveniently the UPS guy continually delivered me their packages for several months requiring me to go over to their house and deliver them. :) Their dog's name is Chief. 

cross-posted from richardambercrowson.blogspot.com

One by one God opened up the doors to our neighbors.  Usually the method he used is their pets.  Everyone on my street knows I now work at a vet clinic.  The children love to show me their new pets and I have enjoyed watching them grow up.  Very often the neighborhood children congregate in our yard.  We know most of their parents and most of them come from very destructive homes.  We continue to pray over them.  

Two nights ago I was summoned to the door by frantic knocking.  A gentleman was holding a young puppy that had gotten very sick.  My instinct told me it was Parvo.  A deadly (and expensive) virus puppies get and if not treated the puppy will die.  I discussed the situation with him standing in my front yard in my pajamas. He met me at my job first thing in the morning and the puppy did indeed have Parvo.  As he explained his life circumstances I quickly came to the understanding that this gentleman and his girlfriend had no money.  They couldn't afford to treat the puppy.  We did everything we could for the puppy with the budget we were given which wasn't much.  My heart was broken for them.  I returned their puppy back to them very ill and very lethargic and told them I was praying for the puppy and for them.  It wasn't very hopeful.

Tonight as I was preparing for bed somebody knocked on our door.  I am getting quite use to people stopping by and didn't think much about it.  I opened the door and four (different) neighbors were standing on our front porch.  In the middle of the circle was the puppy running around and playing at their feet.  We as a neighborhood celebrated a very small victory and a very small miracle.  The puppy had lived and was thriving.

As I am typing this my heart if very full.  I can now successfully name everyone of my neighbors. God has answered our prayers and these relationships are growing.  One step at a time we are loving our neighbors and really it hasn't cost us a thing.  Just a little determination, patience, and much prayer.  We still have a long ways to go.  

Do we have it figured out? No way.  It took almost five years to come as far as we have.  We have barely scratched the surface.  These people are destructive and are in desperate need of the Gospel.  Honestly, some of them struggle just to put food on the table.  There is a lot of pain and suffering behind those walls. We just continue to pray and remain faithful.  God will always present opportunities to meet your neighbors and their needs. All you need to do is ask.

The puppy's name is Lucky.