Where I Live

I LOVE where I live. I am surrounded by such good, good people!

For whatever reason, quite a few families in our neighborhood have been slammed with personal struggles and challenges lately (most of them health related). My heart goes out to them. I am currently in a position at church where I arrange service and help for families in need. But I find that other neighbors and friends are already helping before I even get a chance to plan anything! I can't even count how many dinners have gone in to families all around here in the last 6 weeks or so, and the hours spent watching each other's children, and the hours spent visiting just to check in, or the time spent helping each other with the day-to-day chores like cleaning!

The other day I was talking on the phone with a friend when I looked out my window and saw Ryan, my teenage neighbor who is suffering GREAT health challenges, hand-shoveling MY driveway! I quickly hung up the phone, threw on my boots and coat, and ran to get my shovel intending to send him home to bed to rest. I told him that I knew he didn't feel well and he didn't need to shovel MY driveway. He certainly didn't deny feeling rotten, but simply said it was good for him to get out and DO something. After shoveling my driveway, he and his dad THEN started cutting away at our tree that had been uprooted that morning by the heavy snow. I couldn't believe it!

I also receive many phone calls from those struggling families wanting to know how to help the other struggling families. When I tell them to just take care of their own families right now, they certainly have enough to deal with, they insist on helping because they understand the stresses the others are feeling. I have to wonder what I would do if I were in their shoes. I think I'd probably barely be keeping my head above water with my own family and would hope other neighbors are helping. I find I'm learning a great deal from these good people around me. I pray for them constantly and hope things turn out for the best in the end. To all of them, I thank you for teaching me and allowing me to learn from your great examples! And thank you to the many others who are teaching me about serving others in your countless acts.

I LOVE where I live and that I live by so many good, good people!