Love Thy Neighbor

Yesterday afternoon I thought it would be nice for Dean and I to visit some of our neighbors and bring them a belated Christmas card and "family newsletter".

One of the families was new to the neighborhood. I was somewhat nervous about Dean's presentation, but he had shaved off his beard and mustache for me for Christmas, so I thought this might be a good time for the introductions. He didn't look as wild and wooly as before The Shave, so we bravely ventured outside and enjoyed the last of our unseasonably warm weather.

It was nice to touch bases with these families who live almost on our doorstep, but who really live such separate lives. It reminded me of a neighbor we had a few years ago. Even though they were right across the street, I had no idea that she was a caregiver too. She took care of her mother.

I only learned about her challenges and isolation when she was hospitalized for a nervous breakdown. It was stressful and traumatic for the whole family. Her brother, who lived somewhere else, had to step in and attend to the business of selling the house, putting their mom in a long term facility, and finding some mental health assistance for his sister.

All this family drama happened right across the street. I should have been there for them earlier, but was too wrapped up in caring for my own. Her story, when I finally learned of it, inspired me to be more proactive in helping other caregivers. It's so important to reach out to others for help. Caregivers must learn to take care of themselves, in addition to their loved ones.

God created human beings as social creatures. We were designed to be with each other, to care for each other, and to love each other. And the whole purpose is to equip us to have a relationship with our Creator. In taking a tiny step in knowing my neighbors, I pray I can stay connected with them, but more importantly, I can grow closer to God, who doesn't need a card and "letter" to know ALL about us.

My best Christmas present ever--a clean-shaven husband (he did keep a little "soul patch" though).

Choices

This was a big shopping day for me. The cupboards and fridge are no longer bare. As I thought about what to have for supper tonight, I realized how difficult it suddenly was to choose, compared to when the few ingredients left over from last month pretty much determined exactly what we would have from night to night.

Both decisions were a challenge though; whether it was making a meal out of extremely limited resources or deciding which of the many menu items would taste good and be good for tonight's supper. You still have to use up those foods with the shortest shelf life first, so it took quite awhile to decide which one would be most appropriate to have first.

Isn't it a blessing to have food to choose from at all though? So many people go to sleep hungry every night. So many children will wake up in the morning with nothing to put in their rumbling bellies. So many teenagers will be forced to skip lunch, because they are too poor to bring a lunch or buy food at school.

There is another choice we all can make. Choose to help those less fortunate. Every chance you get. They say that the only excuse to look down on someone is while you're helping them up. Choose to lift up, rather than put down, and the world will be a better place for everyone.

The Jesus Way

As we entered a store today, my daughter noticed that a lady had some things on her cart that were about to fall off. As a matter of fact, it looked like she was never going to get her items to her car the way they were loaded, without some assistance. So Kayla offered to accompany her to her car and help hold the items while the lady pushed the cart. I, Grandma "Anya", was there to watch the two little girls till she came back.

No big thing, but I was particularly proud that Kayla was observant enough to see someone in need and not hesitate to do what she could to help. I was also glad to see the good example she was giving my granddaughters.

Later in the day, a neighbor called and wanted to know if I could run her up to the garage to look for her missing bank debit card. Of course, helping her out was not an option, if it was in my ability to do it. I thought about Kayla's earlier good deed, and had to smile at where she got her kindness and compassion for others.

I guess she's been seeing it and doing it all her life. It's the Jesus way.