Well. For the past 6 months Tom and I have played the most ridiculous game. It's called What Are Those Neighbors Doing Now?
An easy game to play--you just look out the window and make assumptions about what's going on with the family across the street.
Heh.
Good gracious. We've tried to put that game away, hide it in the closet, (so to speak), but we still drag it out for the sake of curiosity and er, fun.
"Hmm.... This isn't Spring Break, yet I know they're gone for the week. What about their kids and school?"
"Wonder where they went? Must have been one of those huge amusement parks. Their kids seem the right age for that."
--Or--
"Did you see there's another new car over there? A different one this time. Do they rent them? What's up with that?"
"And their truck is still there this morning. Do you think he rode his motorcycle to work today?"
--And--
"Wow. I don't believe I've ever seen them walk at a normal pace. They're always practically running. They must be in good shape... or always in a hurry."
Good grief. (Yes, I'm hanging my head in shame...) ツ
But you know? I'm pretty darn certain the whole neighborhood is watching Tom and me like that, also.
And if I'm right? Well, I so desire that they--somehow--see God in us. That they watch us trying our best to keep our yard up (but no, not being obsessive about it) and that they note we're not noisy-stereo folks, gossipers, hermits or screamers, either (well, once a year we do manage to have a huge fight. sighhh).
But I hope when they see us interacting with each other outside, they can tell we still love and respect one another.
Because the world is watching us, you know. All of us. And may they see much good fruit of the Spirit sprouting up all over the place. And desire to grow that fruit for themselves.
*******
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." ... Galations 5:22,23
In the same way, let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven. ... Matthew 5:16
I've added more twig planters since you last saw them.
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Do you love that top photo for this post, or what? :) In reality, they were watching the wonderful ice skater, Sonia Henie perform, which I think is sweet. Sonia's autobiography actually created in me a new love for autobiographies at age 17. I've never forgotten that.
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5 comments:
I had to smile this morning when you talked about people watching people. We have druggies across the street and they don't like it when we come outside even to go to our cars. They think we are watching them. Since moving in they act like they own the entire neighborhood. I have lived here 12 years. And when I moved in everyone was elderly and we all enjoyed each other. I was still working having just now retired and I would take homemade cookies to different ones and a few of us who were younger would check on the older ones. What a wonderful subdivision it was. One man even mowed for an older gentleman (age 94) and when he passed he left his very nice mower to the man who mowed for him. We all did the best we could to keep our yards up too. Then.....the older ones passed and you younger ones moved in. We have a wonderful young couple down the street even now. But we have at least 3 younger couples in this area now who are not so wonderful. I can smell pot when I walk out to my car around 10 at night. The young ones don't keep their dogs leashed but the Animal Shelter seems unable to take care of that problem. We've had more police cars in this area in the last year it's unbelievable. I had planned to live out my days here and enjoy the older folks but of course I had not really thought about their passing. I miss them. I'll move by fall. I own a modular I was using as a rental but have not liked renting to others at all. So I will sell this home (my favorite place) and move to the modular. It will be a good move. I need to fix it up with new flooring, paint, and some bathroom work. Then I'll make the major part of the move. I'll have time to sort what is left here. Since I've been doing that I hope there is not a lot to do here when I leave. Plans change. I'm now happy to do what I am doing but I wasn't so much at first. This will help to downsize my life and there is an outbuilding that I can rent out for $ to help make ends meet. So all is good. God is watching out for us. Since I am single 2 of my neighbors try to bully me. They don't get anywhere but I'm just tired of them. In the other house my neighbor will be my daughter and we get along good. So yes, neighbors watching neighbors. :) And when 4 police cars show up across the street (4 at a time) I am watching. :) lol
This made me laugh because I am always watching the neighbors. I newer thought that they may be watching me. LOL
ooops! that was supposed to be "never" not "newer".
Growing up it seemed every block had at least one neighbor who knew everything that was ever going on on the whole long street. I still wonder how my neighbor did it. She did not gossip just watched and knew. Yet she always got her house work done and helped at her church regularly too. She was a really sweet women.
I live in an area like Rita talked about above. I thought this house we have been in 30+ years would be the last we would ever have. Now my husband is talking of moving. Financially I do not want to do it but for peace of mind he feels pushed. Time will tell what happens. God knows. The street has changed so very much. Not that it was perfect to start and had two families of bad people even then. These people had been in this area forever...way before we came here. Then miraculously within two years both families broke up and moved. It was as surprising to me as when the Berlin Wall came down. So unexpected. I am praying for something like this to happen again but do not want to put these bad neighbors in someone else's neighborhood just so wee won't have to have them around. That is not right either. More I pray for them to see the way they live is not right and open up their lives to God. I still pray for the old bad neighbors that are still alive. They too are God's children even though they do not know their Father.
Yes we are watched by the little ones who walk by and we take the time to smile and say hello to them. We are watched by the delivery man who come to our doors. The bus drivers or garbage men who see us, the older couple who watches us from their porch. When I worked a short time, I didn't realize I was being watched until the men would apologize and seemed embarrassed that they had swore at someone around me...but didn't around other women. They said I was different. They knew I was a Christian. They always treated me like they would their sister.
Did I ever tell you the story of the young couple who moved in next to an elderly couple. ?? The young couple noticed that little by little the elderly couples yard started to have junk in areas and the grass did not get cut regularly. They got to resenting having to see this yard. One day the elderly man was near the side fence they shared. He and the younger man started to talk. He found out the older man could not cut his grass any more and that he used to have a pick up truck to haul away any junk but no longer did and could not find anyone who had one he could pay to do so. The young man had a truck and offered to haul away the things when he took his own things to the dump. Oh the young man thought... that is why the yard is as it is. The older couple does care but needs help. So it was that from that time on both couples became friends and helped each other in the ways each could. Sarah
I'm usually looking out the windows with my binoculars .. not at neighbors .. but at the bird feeders .. and hope we live far enough that neighbors don't see me 'birding' .. LOL Yes, we are being watched.
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