Last month, I wrote about defining who our neighbors are and the fact that I knew nothing about mine despite living in my house for so long. So, the past three weeks, I have made it a point to change this. I have had real conversations with a few of them. I now know their names and they know mine. Beyond that, I also know something real about each of them. Something beyond the kind of car they drive or how long they let their grass get before mowing it. It’s amazing how something as simple as that can make me feel so much safer and more connected.
Why didn’t I do it sooner?I had no idea the impact it would have!
Now, let’s expand this idea even further. If we can look at our neighbors as being more than just those that live near us, it will be astounding the number of people we can impact and, in turn, how we are impacted. What if we all loved one another truly like we were all neighbors? This sounds so easy, and it can be! All it means is that we simply have eyes to see those people we have the opportunity to connect with each day. At the grocery store, at work, picking your kids up from school…we are constantly given the opportunity to be generous, kind and to love. I can only dream of what it would be like if we all actually stopped to do this.
Let’s start by loving our next-door neighbor and then allow that to grow into loving everyone as our neighbor. In the midst of this holiday season, it’s easy to feel sad and lonely at times. But what if we could be the reason that someone felt happy and hopeful? I challenge each of you, no matter if you are feeling happy or sad, working on your faith journey or having a day where you feel full of faith…Love Your Neighbor As Yourself.
We’d love to hear your stories of how a person has changed your day for the better simply by just loving you as their neighbor!
