The Bald Goat

This past winter, Abilene was blessed to experience a snowy winter wonderland! It was absolutely beautiful and our kids were thrilled to have snow (and not go to school!) As all who live in places that regularly get snow know, this winter wonderland has it’s downside. Soggy boots, cabin fever, and worst of all icy streets. Here is a picture of the icy street in front of my house:

This was a picture on day one and it continued to snow and the ice did not melt off the street for 4 days. It turned every place into a demolition derby filled with insane drivers! God blessed us with snow and blessed the auto repair industry with lots of business!

On the first icy cold day we bundled up our kids and headed outside for some fun in the snow. While making snow angels I received a call on my phone. (note: touch screen phones will not respond to gloved hands. Just FYI.) It was my neighbor across the street and she was stuck.

Her minivan had made it down the driveway but could not get traction to go. Turns out her brakes had locked on one wheel and it was acting like an anchor preventing her car from moving. We were able to get a torch on the brakes and free them up and she was able to get to work. (She runs the payroll dept and today was payday! Pretty important for the hundreds of employees at her company!) Once we got her freed up she was on her way, but she had lost valuable time and her daughter needed a place to stay. We weren’t going anywhere so I offered her to stay with us. (My kids were thrilled to have a playmate for the day!)

I tell you this story because I think that it is so cool that we have gotten to know this neighbor. And this neighbor has our phone numbers and can call us if they need anything. They trust us with their child. I love it when we both happen to be outside at the same time and I hear this “Hello neighbor!” from across the street.

Sounds kinda 1950’s like we should be looking over white picket fences and I should be wondering if he will ever return my shovel. Wally and Beaver riding past on bikes going to the soda shoppe. Makes me want to eat some apple pie…

Here is what I have realized, I actually live in a physical community.

This sounds really odd to say this because it seems like this is stating the obvious, but I don’t believe we actually live in communities. We live on the same street with other people in the same neighborhood and city, but we rarely, if ever, live in a community. We can find community in lots of different places: Church, work, coffee house, skate park, etc. But we go out of our way to be a part of something that is literally at our front door.

I am not trying to toot my own horn. My house sits in direct relationship with 5 other houses out my front door and 3 more out the back. That is a total of 8 direct neighbors and I only know 1. Seems like there is some work to do here…

Give me your response, what is it like in the place where you live? Do you know your neighborhood? Do you physically live in a community? 

Also, how can we go about establishing and nurturing relationships in the communities where we physically live?

God, I thank you for opening doors within my neighborhood. I thank you for the friends we have made. Guide us toward more relationships in our physical community and help us to be good neighbors.