The Love of Friends and Neighbors

We'd been in our house about six months. Finding it had been a gift from God - so had the process of purchasing it. We had met the neighbors briefly, and realized a few of our friends from the Y lived in the same neighborhood (Later that fall, we'd realize that six of the students in Jacob's kindergarten class live within our subdivision).

It has been a great blessing living in community. Our previous house was hidden down a hillside. It was perfectly, wonderfully private... but kind of lonely. No one ever bothered us - but no one ever waved as they drove past either - they couldn't drive past. It was at a dead end. Not so here. The neighborhood is very much alive! Friends and neighbors wave and beep as they pass our house, and wave and laugh (and tease me!) as I walk the dog.

It was late spring or early summer. I pulled into our driveway briefly to change clothes and gather a few things before heading to a yoga class. It had been a long day, moving into a busy, but relaxing evening. As I stared into the back yard, there was a nagging voice of awareness: "SOMETHING is DIFFERENT...." I stared for what seemed to be forever, my brain scanning through every detail I knew about the house and the yard. Suddenly, I knew. "Someone mowed my grass..." I was stunned. Pleased - very pleased - I was preparing to push-mow nearly an acre the next day. There were no traces, yet I knew who had blessed me with that generous act of kindness.

I walked next door and thanked my neighbors....repeatedly! "It's hard enough raising children," she said, "don't worry about your grass..." That was three years ago. In all that time, I have mowed the entirety of my yard once. One more example of why I feel "blessed beyond my wildest imaginings".

Thank You God, for friends and for neighbors...