Kindness and Gratitude in the Neighborhood!Sample

A HUG, A PRAYER, AND SEEING THE NEED!

Early on, Micki who lives on the other side of me invited me to walk each with her.  I, in turn, invited Lynne, who lives across the street.  As we got new residents, we invited a couple more gals, Jo and Ardella.  We set a time daily and whoever shows up joins the walk.  We have been known to get drenched in a downpour and laugh as a couple of us braved the drops and others carry umbrellas!  Walking is a gift that costs us nothing but time, and is a gift of time where we get to know more about the other person.

One morning after the walk, one of the gals told us her brother was going into surgery that morning.  My spirit said ‘pray!’  At first, I kind of bucked the thought, but the second time I felt the nudge, I asked if she would mind if I prayed for her brother.  She said she welcomed it, so right there in the middle of the street, we stood in a circle and prayed for her brother and the surgery.  Did I take a risk of rejection?  I did, but when we are obedient to what we feel is right, we aren’t embarrassed, especially knowing the power that is in prayer.

One of our neighbors was also going into surgery herself, so I called and asked her if she would mind me coming over and anointing her with oil and praying.  I knew she was of a different faith, and I wasn’t sure what she believed about this.  She welcomed it and told me that it reminded her of her mother who used to anoint with oil and pray.

“Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty.”  Job 6:14

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”  James 1:27

You see it doesn’t matter if my neighbors are of a different denomination, or don’t believe what I believe. We are all made in the image of God and if I want my neighbors to see Christ in me, then I must behave, talk, and act my faith.  

We neighbor gals who are now friends share often what is going on within our families, so we know when the other is struggling with things.  My struggle came in June of 2020 when suddenly my sister died.  She was raking her lawn one week and the next on a life flight from one hospital to another.  I shared with my neighbors and asked for prayer for her.  One day my brother and I went to the hospital to be with her; that evening there was a sweet little rose plant with a card setting on my back entrance to my home. Yes, the neighbors in my circle who were now friends, reached out in love to me, and how thankful I am for their love.  A few days later my sister passed on.  

The gals rallied around me and those who could came to her viewing. Through cards, food, gifts, but most of all their prayers and love, I felt as if God reached out through them, to let me know He was caring for me.

A couple of months later my brother contracted COVID, and it was serious.  I had shared with my neighbors, and it seemed like everything went wrong that week.  I had put something in the microwave and got busy and before I knew it, my house was filled with smoke and the smoke alarm was going crazy.  I ran to the kitchen and shut down the microwave but the item was not recognizable.  I opened both the front and back doors and got a dishtowel to fan the smoke away from the alarm and drive it out the doors.  

That evening, Jim and Cindy were sitting on their patio and asked if I would come over.  I thought why not, maybe things would turn around. I had hardly sat down when Jim gave me his testimony and asked if they could pray with me.  We sat there on their back patio, hand in hand, just the three of us and he prayed over me.  Just what God knew I needed.  

A couple of days later I got the dreaded call that my brother was dying and if I wanted to see him, I needed to be at my brother’s home within the ½ hour.  COVID was at its peak and we had another 40 minutes to drive to get to him and it was only with special permission we could go in.  My brother died that afternoon while we were there.   

I don’t know if it was the next morning or the night of, but I remember my neighbor Lynne seeing me in the garage and she walked over and asked if I needed a hug.  Yes, it was Covid, and we shouldn’t have hugged (according to health guidelines).  It was a free act of kindness out of her heart toward one she knew was hurting.

CAN YOU RELATE?

Seeds of kindness can’t out-give each other.  A seed is planted and meant to grow. When it grows, someone is going to benefit from it.  Some seeds produce more than other seeds, but maybe the seed that yields less has a more lasting effect.  Whatever you chose to do out of kindness never dies; it grows.  I am a firm believer that when we love on others, others will love on us….and just at the right time!