I saw him through the window. He was shoveling the snow off my driveway with his seven-year old daughter. As they walked up the driveway, I opened the door to thank them. Here’s what he said to me. “You don’t mind if I do this, do you?” He asked if I minded if he shoveled my driveway. That was on Monday. Later in the week, after it had snowed all day Friday, he used the snowblower on my driveway. Again, when I opened the door to thank him, he asked the same question. “You don’t mind if I do this, do you?” What a kind man. He’s a good neighbor.
He called me one morning this week. This kind neighbor of mine. He asked if my house was staying warm in this frigid temperature. The previous week, I had told him that the furnace hadn’t been keeping the house warm. Oh. I had a repairman come out to solve the problem. It was a very minor repair. And my neighbor was calling just to see if I had a warm house. We had a very nice conversation as he began his workday that morning. What a kind man. He’s a good neighbor.
These aren’t the first acts of kindness this man has shown to his new neighbors. He has offered to drop off bags of salt to refill my water softener tank each month. He stopped by one day just to tell us that he had run into our brother-in-law at a football game. Knowing that my husband works out of state, he called me on Thanksgiving Day to make sure I wasn’t alone. A couple of days later, he dropped off some leftover turkey for us. He seems to have a genuine interest in getting to know the man of the house and makes an effort to stop by and talk to him almost every time he’s in town. He offered to help stain the deck next summer. And he offered to help clean out the firepit. He has a much bigger yard that requires many more hours of work than our property demands. And he has a family who depends on him. Yet he takes time out of his busy schedule to offer kindness and help to an aging couple next door. What a kind man. He’s a good neighbor.
A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.
Proverbs 11:17
Last week when the furnace was struggling to heat our house, everyone in our small group Bible study offered their empty bedrooms if I needed a place to stay. Now, mind you, these people barely know me. I’m new to the church, and I’ve only attended the group three times. But these fine Christian warriors are true neighbors, indeed. They’ve texted me to see if the furnace is working while my husband is out of town. They made sure to check on me at church to see if the house is warm. They’re kind people. They’re good neighbors.
Some may think there aren’t many good and kind people left on this earth. But I’ve found a few good ones these last few months after our move to a new state. These people aren’t lifelong friends or even family. They’re new acquaintances who I hope will become lifelong friends for the length of time I have left on this earth.
And let me tell you about the goodness and kindness of my family members who live close by. My brother-in-law dropped off extra space heaters to make sure I was warm enough. And he worked on my car when it wasn’t running properly. When our dog was on her deathbed, my sister came over and stayed with me during the final moments of my dog’s life. And they’ve fed me countless times. They’re kind people. They’re good neighbors.
I didn’t grow up with next door neighbors. I grew up on a farm surrounded by fields. Oh. We had neighbors, but we could only see their houses clearly through the lens of the binoculars. And I didn’t mind being so far from anyone. So, as I’ve lived in true neighborhoods all my adult life I’ve seen how neighborly some people are and some people aren’t. Oh. My parents and other surrounding farmers were neighborly, all right. Even though we didn’t live next door to anyone, others were kind to our family. And my parents were kind to others. They helped each other out in times of need.
Whether we have next door neighbors or not, we can still be a good neighbor. We can still extend the hand of friendship to others who are in need. Just this week, I met the women from my small group for lunch. They were talking of the good deeds that they and others have extended to needy ones in the church. They weren’t bragging. They were just talking about the little things they’ve done over the years for others in a moment of need. That’s the kind of neighbor I want to be. Oh. It’s grand to have a great neighbor, but the help shouldn’t be one-sided. I need to keep my eyes and ears open for someone in need and then offer help. It does the soul good to be on the giving end.
The Bible tells us to treat others in the same way we would like to be treated. So, as followers of Christ, being good and kind to others should be a part of who we are. It shouldn’t be forced, but it should be a natural extension of our own blessed lives. As we see people who need a helping hand, we can extend ours with love and generosity. If each of us does our part to make our own corner of the world a place of care and giving, who knows what can happen. Let’s do our part and find out.
Do to others as you would like them to do to you. Luke 6:31
Mercy for the Day 