a l i v e & a w a k e

    

Welcome friends from Meeting House! From time ot time I invite guest bloggers to tell their story of where Jesus is working in the hearts and neighbourhood. Enjoy. -joe

 

It was a real eye sore. It stuck out like a sore thumb. I found myself saying NO! It’s too hard. I’m too busy with my own family, my own problems, and my own responsibilities. These are some of the reasons why I did not readily seize the opportunity that came. I passed by it daily and it called out to me, but I ignored it with my excuses.

      I think the thing that finally guided me into action was a conversation with a new neighbor who because they were next door to the house agreed readily when I mentioned it. Yes, she would indeed help me to fix up their lawn and tackle cleaning it together.

     I have to say here that we knew the family who lived in this house more than she did., she was too new for all the stories yet she seemed to know most of them.  Five years prior our son was closest friends with this neighbor’s son. They were inseparable. Then things radically changed.  My sons’ friend saw his dad die a painful death due to cancer. It made him bitter.  He started hanging out with the wrong crowd. He got into trouble with the law. He started drinking and doing drugs. His mom slipped into depression.  Their house used to be kept up, now it was overgrown; the place was full of weeds and littered with old Christmas lights and garbage.

     We got permission to help when the family was away on vacation and I convinced or rather bribed our son that he should help too. Didn’t he remember all the good times he had there in the past?

      To my delight he came with his buddy from school to cut the lawn and trim the bushes. So along with the new neighbor who did I mention has four kids under six, we set out to do the transformation. It was a good thing that her mother-in-law was visiting!

      While working in the heat I found out that this new neighbor of mine was just like me in many ways… except she had many beliefs that I totally disagree with. How could this be? Was Jesus into doing this project with two people who would never see eye to eye in their beliefs? I found myself cringing when she was talking to everyone while I was working. My fears kicked in…. Uh oh was she being more friendly than me?  Would they listen to her beliefs more than mine?

      When we needed a power washer, I asked another family from the Meeting House for one and they too joined in.  They told me that they had wanted to do something and initially thought that it might offend the people. By this time many others on the street were noticing. A few days of work and soon many people got involved. Some neighbors who stilled judged them came over with flowers for their garden or recycling bags for the trimmings. Three days we worked hard on the front lawn. Fourteen bags of garbage brought us such a feeling of accomplishment. We started cleaning the new neighbors’ front lawn too. With all of us working together it was easy to do it all.

     As I reflect on the experience, I learned many things about my neighbors.  I learned to care in ways that I had not before. Getting dirty for Jesus has great rewards; I do not know who benefited more me or them.   

Guest Blogger in HOme Church