Love Your Neighbor
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We are commanded to love our neighbors. As Christians we strive to do that everyday. But I am speaking here of loving our next-door neighbor. Loving the person/s living near you will make your life happier. Be kind to yourself. Don’t even attempt to quarrel with your neighbor.
I have heard of people who are at odds with their neighbors. I bet every time they see them, their day grows sour. My husband told me about a man who always complains about his neighbor. He would always avoid her or else she will ruin his day. But I don’t want anything to dampen each happy day that the Lord is giving me. He has put into my heart the initiative to connect and befriend our neighbors. And it is so easy. Giving a bowl of soup, slices of pineapple, a few corn cobs, a few minute of talk or a spur-of-the-moment visit, or exchanging plants, will come a long way in establishing friendship and creating an atmosphere of good cheer everyday. And every time the container comes back to us, there is always baked goodies on it. Of course we don’t expect that but it is also a way of saying that “when you give, you also receive.”
Our neighbor lives by herself – her daughter lives just a block away. She is 74 years old, a Christian, with a beautiful face… and heart. She is very artistic, evident in the way she decorates her lovely house and garden. Her latest project is a Koi pond, surrounded by curly ferns. In the pond are three antique cisterns (she bought from a second-hand shop), where water flows and gives a soothing sound of cascading water. I always praise her ability to show her artistic side. Before, she used to sew house dresses. She even made one for me for free, fabric and all.
For my husband’s 50th birthday, she baked a football cake – since my husband is an ardent football player. And when i gave a baby shower to my daughter, she baked her a cake decorated with a Stork on top (the one shown above). Both were handcrafted and handed over with neighborly love.
Yesterday, at almost 9:00 pm, the bell rang. We were surprised to see my neighbor and she ashamedly requested that I drive her to the hospital. She was most apologetic. But we were most happy to help. We arrived home late and slept late. But happy to have extended our love and concern for our neighbor with a beautiful face… and heart.