Build Them Up

                 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.   (Romans 15:2)

                Do you know your neighbors? Older folks apparently do a little better at this than younger, but up to 25% of Americans say they don’t. I have to question whether those who say they do know lots of their neighbors, or just one or two, and whether they have regular conversations with them, or just know them to wave and say, “Hi!” I’m one of those “don’t know” folks. I know who some of my neighbors are because we’ve shared the same block and I knew some of their kids when I was growing up, but I don’t really know them. One neighbor is a people person, and she and I have talked once in a while for quiet a few years, but most of the rest live in their little worlds, and I live in mine. Over the past two years, the neighbor behind my friendly neighbor and I have started talking about gardens. Jeff loaded my weed whacker for me yesterday, and we’ve traded excess garden plants and crops. I don’t think I ever said two words to either of the families living in that house before the current residents, and I wouldn’t say I know any of my neighbors well.

                I used to console myself with the idea that my Neighbors weren’t my neighbors. My Neighbors were those with whom I chose to spend time. That really doesn’t help, because I live next to my neighbors, which means I spend time close to them and by so-called Neighbors were possibly miles away and I only met with them once a week.

                Since my friendly neighbor’s husband died, I’ve tried to step in to help her out more. I’ve become her gardener. Over the past couple days, I’ve weeded some of her plots, and planted some tomatoes, zucchini, and flowers – most of them plants I didn’t have room for.  She sounds like she appreciates it.

                I’m not telling you all of this to pat myself on the back or to convince you I’m some noble, kind-hearted soul. It’d be nice if I were a noble, kind-hearted soul, but I’m not going to even try to evaluate that. It leads me into a quagmire. No, I’m telling you this because for all my effort, I don’t think I actually know her well enough to be sure that helping with her garden is building her up as we’re commanded to do – and at the same time, building someone  up might be as simple as pulling weeds and putting in plants.

                There are a some benefits for me in doing this work for her.

·         it gives me a chance to check on her, to make sure she’s not in need of a doctor. Second, it gives me

·         It gives me somewhere to put seedlings that I don’t have room for. What she doesn’t use, I will try to use to make something that I can then give back to her. I get to learn in the process.

·         It’s exercise that actually does something useful

·         It means I don’t feel so bad when I sneak into her yard (with permission) to harvest rhubarb, lilacs, lemon balm, mint, or other stuff growing in her garden. She enjoys the stuff I make with the weeds I pull out of her garden.

And the neighbor who loaded string into my weed whacker – in addition to the trade of plants and products, I’ve given him a chance to help me in a simple way, which (I suspect) builds him up, too. I know that when I’ve done something to help someone, I feel good about it.

        Thinking about when the going gets rough – I have three thoughts. First, if the going gets rough we can help one another. Secondly, if the going gets rough, and they value me, they might not attack me or turn me in. Thirdly, perhaps they’ll be influenced by what I do and say – perhaps even to the point of salvation.