Neighbors

Lydia and her children, Zoey and Ian, live just a couple of houses down the street and yet its been 2 years since we've had them in our home.

Oh, we've seen them plenty of times; driving in their car, walking to the mailbox. And we do the neighborly thing which is to wave and smile. All the while in my head I think and pray about my Christian witness in the neighborhood and question how effective it could possibly be if I'm content to just wave and drive along.

I've told my kids about this dilemma, and in February we put a little more action to our thoughts and created cards for Zoey and Ian so that when their Grandpa walked them to the mailbox something fun would be waiting inside. A month or so later Jayden and Zachary received a postcard in return - all the way from Paris where they were on vacation!!

We reconnected at a neighbors house on 4th of July weekend and promised each other to make plans asap. Shortly thereafter Marty and I spent time in specific prayer for our neighborhood and our relationships with the families on our street. And literally the next morning as I walked into Bed Bath and Beyond to replace a broken iron, and with all 3 kids in tow, there stood Lydia and Ian in the check out line!

(Side Story: our next stop was to get FroYo across town and there we encountered Erin our college bound neighbor whom I've longed to connect with!)

Official plans were made and we had them over for a spectacular lunch play-date 2 days later. We hung out for hours and finished the afternoon in their backyard on the trampoline. Zoey is now signed up for our church's VBS and Jayden is signed up for 2-hour oil painting lessons with Zoey's grandma on Mondays.

God does amazing things when we pray. He makes the connections for us. We don't have to fret and plan, clean and organize. We simply need to have a willing heart, open hands and eyes ready to see what He will do in, around, and through us.

I'm so fired up to witness what God has in store for our neighborhood!

Deuteronomy 3:24

"O Sovereign Lord, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do."