When I lived in an apartment, I got to know my neighbors by hanging out at the pool. I knew the neighbors across the hall, who David called "Grandpa", and I got to know the neighbors that lived on the next floor, a certain 5-year old girl that wanted to marry David. I also got to know a 9 year old boy named Cody, grieving the recent loss of his dad, who loved to swim and play with 5-year-old David.
When I moved into a house, I can't say I ever really got to know my neighbors. I mean, I knew the Mexican neighbors beside me because they talked to me when I was out on my front porch. But we never invited each other in to our homes or developed any kind of authentic friendship. They probably reached out more to me than I did to them by sharing tamales and desserts that they made when they had family over. I met the neighbors next door a few times, and I waved occasionally at the neighbors who lived in front of me. I also knew the neighbors down the street whose kids played on a soccer team with David. But truthfully, I never really got to know any of them. We all pretty much just kept to ourselves and led very separate lives. We probably had at least 40-50 houses crammed into our little half mile semi-circle road.
Then I moved to Indiana and bought a house set up on a hill out on a quiet country road. I heard the neighbors were all super nice, but seeing that we could have fit half of our old street or more between our house and the neighbor's house here, I didn't see us meeting any neighbors soon. But before I knew it, we'd see different neighbors out walking up and down this quiet, country road, stopping at the bottom of our hill and yelling hello to us, or at least just waving. Then I started walking, and they'd see me at the top of their own hills and wave or they'd stop to introduce themselves if their house wasn't set so far from the road. I started meeting neighbors who passed me on my walk, neighbors out on their golf carts to get their mail, neighbors out walking their dogs or just out working in their yards. People live a lot further apart here, but they engage quickly in conversation when the opportunity presents itself.
Then one (actually three) neighbors got together to have a garage sale inside a barn at the house closest to the bottom of the hill. Neighbors came and met (some for the first time), made connections, and started sharing phone numbers. Then one of them had a brilliant idea. Why don't we have a meet and greet? So that's exactly what they did. A week or two later, I got an invite in the mailbox for a neighbor meet and greet up at one of the houses at the top of the hill--one of those neighbors I actually assumed I'd never get the chance to meet. And what a beautiful time of fellowship and connection we got to share the evening of the meet and greet as we all sat around a table in their dining room for almost three hours munching on snacks and just connecting with each other. At least 15 different neighbors showed up, and now when I walk by and wave, we know a little bit more about each other.
I sure was skeptical and downright angry about purchasing this little house because all I saw was a house that didn't look anything like a home to me. But God saw a property with potential greater than I could see, neighbors that He wanted me to get to know, and connections here that He wanted me to make. I'm so thankful for the goodness He is revealing to me each day as I walk up and down this quiet, country road. And I'll have to admit, that little old house is starting to grow on me.
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