When I was growing up, you really knew your neighbor. Back then, you would talk with your neighbors outside and provide help if there was a problem. My Grandma even told me when she was young, they were always sharing goods with their neighbors.
The Bible says, “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” It doesn’t mean just your actual neighbor, but people in general. I’m still growing in that area. Let me tell you about a couple of experiences with my neighbors.
Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it. “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Matthew 22:37-39 Life Application Study Bible
Old Neighbor
When I bought my first place, the neighbors on my right were quite friendly. They would talk to me about any and everything. I’d actually try to avoid them if I could. I like to talk about meaningful things. One time the conversation was about their pet cat. I’m not a pet owner, so I could care less about their beloved feline.
I’m very good at minding my own business. It was years before I really recognized my neighbor in public. One day while shopping at the local Food Lion, I had an epiphany at the check-out line. The cashier mentioned something specific about the community we lived in. At that moment I realized the cashier was the same lady who lived next door to me! I felt so bad as I was walking out.
New Neighbor
One morning while I was home, I saw four police trucks lined up along my street. I saw the yellow caution tape in front of my neighbors home across the street. Suddenly I wondered what happened as I looked from my kitchen window. I figured someone broke into their home. There wasn’t a fire truck or ambulance so that had to be it. Well, weeks passed and I hadn’t seen Joe in a long time. Then my husband said he saw Joe’s car getting towed. That seemed very odd. Then days later, we saw Joe’s wife cleaning and throwing away a lot of stuff. It was becoming evident that she was moving.
My husband and I were walking around the neighborhood one day. We asked the guy who lived next to Joe what happened since we didn’t see Joe anymore. When he responded, our hearts were crushed. It turns out Joe killed himself in the garage that same day that I was looking out of the window wondering what was going on.
He was such a good guy. It looked like he was loving life. Joe always asked my husband if he needed a hand with something. He always spoke. Months later, we discovered that our delivery guy even told us about some great things Joe did for him. Joe had an additional health problem that we weren’t aware of and he didn’t want to take cancer treatments. With that being said, he gave up on life.
Moral of the Story
Pay attention to the people in your pathway. Appreciate them. If I’d known more about Joe’s situation I’d encourage him and suggest therapy. Just a reminder, ladies check in with the men in your life regarding their emotional health. If I knew his wife was grieving alone, I’d extend my hands and heart to her. After all of that, I decided to be intentional with getting to know people. Now my goal is to be more attentive and sensitive to those around me. You never know what someone is going through unless they share it with you.