Thou Shalt Bless Thy Neighbor

In a small town, when a siren is heard, everyone goes outside. If there is an ambulance headed somewhere…chances are that you know whose home they are headed to. That’s where I come from. I would hear a siren, look to see what direction it was going, and say a prayer for the person in need.

I now live in a larger city where I know practically no one. Living fairly close by to a hospital, I have been hearing quite a few sirens. At first, I found myself shifting in my seat. I had to resist that habit of walking out the front door to see where the ambulance was going. Now, after being here for a month or so, I don’t seem to notice the noise. To be honest, the prayers for the people in need of those ambulances have ceased too.

Recently while in prayer, I was convicted of my negative attitude while going on my daily walks. Instead of praying for each family as I walked by each home, I tended to think critically about the long grass, broken fences, or junk in their yards. Not many houses are like this where we live. However, there are a few. I wasn’t stopping to consider what might be going on in the lives of those who reside in the homes where the plants that are dying in the pots, and the grass is taller than the family cat lurched outside. Maybe turmoil, stress, or heartache is consuming the time of those who live behind those doors. Maybe painting the chipped mailbox just isn’t a priority because someone is terminally ill.

In my old neighborhood, everyone knew what was going on in the lives of each tattered yard owners’ life....too much so. Here, I just don’t know. So why was I so quick to be critical and so forgetful of how I should love them? Just because I don’t know them, doesn’t make them unworthy of concern or prayer! I prayed that night for the Lord to remind me to pray for the people in the homes as I walk by.

You can tell a lot by walking by the homes of those around you. Toys outside mean they have children that need prayed for. A car held together with duct tape in the driveway may have an owner that could use a prayer for provision. The homes that appear to have everything and look perfect may just have a nice looking front but behind closed doors need prayers for marriages, children, or even salvation.

Consider going for a walk today and praying for your community, your neighbors, and those in each home you pass. You have an opportunity to bless MANY people today. It doesn’t require you to write a check, to give up a Saturday on a busy weekend, or even to venture out of your comfort zone. Take a walk..and bless those around you.