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Reflections: Being Neighborly

 Yesterday was 'yardwork day' for me: the whole mow/edge/blow usual routine which happens every week or two. 

While on my last segment of edging and pausing to refill my trimmer spool, I noticed that at the house on the opposite side of the cul-de-sac (which protrudes off of the street upon which I live) there was a mom who was instructing her son on how to use a flat shovel to 'edge' the driveway and sidewalks. To be honest, that is some seriously HARD labor to be attempting! So... I walked over to the home [I have never met any of the family] and offered to share the use of my electric trimmer [it has a rotating shaft and added support wheel to allow it to be both a 'weed-wacker' and an edger] for their own sidewalks. The mom hesitated but I explained that I would show her son how to use it. She agreed and once I was finished with my work I delivered the trimmer and extension cord to the home. It was returned in the evening and the son even purchased more trimmer line as he had used up what I had left [and I told him to keep the spool so that he could borrow the trimmer in the future].

This interaction got me to thinking later [and discussing it with my daughter] on how people are afraid to be Neighborly anymore. You live your own private life and go about your own private business. You may see an issue with someone but you 'let Someone Else offer to help instead' because you are afraid or too busy or whatever. We do this all of the time!

People are afraid.
People are lonely.
People are freaked out by media accounts [tons of sensationalized stories]. 
And people are afraid to be the one who makes the FIRST move.

Yes, I was nervous. Yes, I had prepared myself for a negative reaction. 
But you know what --- I felt AMAZING afterwards!
I was able to reach out to someone I didn't know [and this looks to be a family with a single mom and 3 kids, though I really do not know as I only got the son's name] and just show a little bit of Kindness to them. Yeah - it felt good.

So.... this is a written reminder to myself to keep doing this type of thing, no matter where I live. This is showing God's love to people. This is me stepping out of my shell of solitude, and me facing some of my fears [many based upon past wounding by people I have known] and taking the chance/risk to just simply be Nice to people - just because.

This world could sure use more of this - and it might as well start with me.

Rachel 
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