Strange Neighbors

I have strange neighbors. You think I’m kidding? I’ll tell you what they do and you can draw your own conclusions. For example, my driveway is about five miles long. (Without snow, it’s about 150 feet long.) In snowy weather, the flakes have a discussion on their way to earth and decide that at least half of them that are headed for Wayne County are to end up in my driveway.

Did I mention that the driveway is about seven miles long with snow? Do you know how much snow that amounts to when the accumulation is several inches deep and it all likes to drift to the most inconvenient spot? That’s right, my driveway. At my age, that’s way too much snow to shovel. I can handle the shoveling around the garage door and on the sidewalk. But a ten-mile-long driveway is way too much for me.

But do I worry? No way, because of my “strange neighbors.” Within a short time after a snow storm one of my neighbors will show up in the drive with a snowplow and quickly clear away the problem. How much do they charge you ask? A smile and a wave is sufficient payment for these folk.

And it’s not just in the winter that the people in my neighborhood act this way. Most of the perennials on our property were given to us because one of our neighbors “just had too many.” Another neighbor, knowing how much firewood we burn, asks if I couldn’t take away large piles of wood that were accumulating on their property. “And make sure that you get all of the wood that is cut and stacked!” They paid me in fresh eggs for the free wood they gave me.

I could continue to give one example after another about the neighborhood but I’m sure you get the point and have concluded, as have I, I have some very “strange neighbors.” They must think that, “…do to others what you would have them do to you…” (Matt.7:12) and “Therefore as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people…” Gal. 6:10) actually mean what is said. Neighborliness, kindness, and concern are apparently more than just words to them. These words are reality in their world. Yep! “Strange neighbors.” How much better our world would be if everyone had “strange neighbors” like this.