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Loving my neighbors, one bouquet at a time
June 18, 2008
I don't think Jesus Christ made life any easier for his followers (although I don't like labels I'm comfortable calling myself a follower of Christ) when he simplified all the law of the Hebrew Scriptures into the two commands to love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself. Simple does not mean easy.
Although Christ said his yoke was light, loving others can be downright difficult. I can't love my own family to the extent they deserve, how on earth can I love my neighbor as myself.
Loving neighbors is difficult on several layers. Firstly, just who exactly is my neighbor? Probably everyone in some context. Wow, that's a lot of people to love. Even if we narrow the definition to let's say the people on our street, in our subdivision, or down the lane the questions don't get any easier. What about the neighbor whose cat digs up your garden and uses it for a litter box or the neighbors who have drunken brawls and hurl insults and probably other stuff at each other behind closed doors?
Putting aside people's behaviors, which are hard enough to overlook when loving them, you still haven't answered the the very basic question of how to love people.
People are so suspicious of love. Assuming you can even meet your neighbors in our backyard-private-deck society. Sometimes I wrestle with these questions. Most often though I shove them to the back of my brain and pray that as I live out my daily life of family and home care I will be sensitive enough to the Spirit to live out the questions and find answers in the living, not just the seeking.
And then sometimes an answer comes, straight forward and simple. In a still small voice, or a quiet thought if you will, cut flowers from your garden and deliver bouquets to different neighbors each week. Hey, I can do that! That's easy and fun. I LOVE my garden, I LOVE my flowers and I LOVE sharing them. So, that's what I'm going to do.
Our first delivery last week week included a Laurent original sketch of an elephant as well. And in the words of our neighbor "we made (her) day". Well, that's cool because giving those flowers made my day too.
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AmandaT on June 18, 2008, 2:20 p.m.
Renee...You and I have been having the same thoughts these days! I totally needed to read this today and Cindy wrote to, something I have been struggling with. How do you be kind to the ungrateful and the kind as well? Makes a person really think deep. Thank you once again for the great reads!
Amanda
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laura - dolcepics on June 19, 2008, 12:10 a.m.
Hi Renee,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and wonderful idea to surprise your neighbours with beautiful bouquets. I think everyone struggles with loving everyone, including enemies. We definitely need God's love in us to even start to open up our hearts unconditionally. Thanks for the reminder!
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Just Pure Lovely on June 19, 2008, 5:06 a.m.
Funny how you bump into things when they're on your mind...I was just IMing a friend last night about this very thing. About how I wonder if I'm totally missing that "still small voice" sometimes, when I think of doing something such as bring over homemade cookies to the neighbor or whatnot, and then I talk myself out of doing it. There are so many excuses we can give ourselves!
But you have a wonderful idea, and I have a garden full of happy, colorful zinnias. Thank you for the nudge! ~ Lori
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Cindy on June 18, 2008, 11:56 a.m.
Great, Renee, We wrestle with this as well. When we read Luke 6:34&35, how God is kind to ungrateful and evil people (NAS), we are in agreement with you.....How do you be kind to the ungrateful and the kind as well? What is impossible for us is impossible for God. We too are thankful for the voice of the Holy Spirit and His presence to help us change. Rodney and Cindy