My family and I live in a good neighborhood.\u00a0 There are nice homes and even nicer neighbors.\u00a0 Like many other neighborhoods, ours has a Homeowners Association (HOA) that works to maintain a certain level of expectation for how these properties are cared for.\u00a0 Soon after we moved into this house, we received our first HOA newsletter.\u00a0 In it, was an article written by the HOA president in response to complaints some in the neighborhood had shared with him about how tall one of the homeowners had allowed their grass to grow.\u00a0 In case you’re wondering, ours wasn’t the home in question.\u00a0 Not this time, anyway. \u00a0\u00a0In his response, the HOA president summarized the complaints and indicated that he understood where they were coming from.\u00a0 As he continued, he did something I did not expect.\u00a0 He turned the complaint back on the homeowners.\u00a0 He suggested that, while he did not disagree that each home should be maintained according to the bylaws, perhaps reasons might exist as to why this person or persons had let their grass grow a bit too much.\u00a0 Perhaps, those who are complaining could check in on the folks in this home to be sure they weren’t experiencing some sort of hardship that might cause them to neglect their lawn. It was a perfect response and one that caused me to love this neighborhood right from the beginning.<\/p>\n
I thought back to this article while Orin and I were in Yakima, Washington this past week, serving on the program staff for a previously mentioned<\/a> service\/learning camp, called Young Neighbors in Action.\u00a0 The great majority of our teens and adults doing service last week in Yakima were assigned not to local agencies, but to individual homes.\u00a0 Specifically, they served at the homes of those who were older, sometimes disabled, and had a low income.\u00a0 These “Young Neighbors” did some landscaping, some clean-up, and a LOT of painting.\u00a0 They did work that would be very difficult or even impossible for those homeowners.\u00a0 As we got to know the stories and circumstances of those being served, a central truth began to emerge.\u00a0 Those who had a strong network of friends and family looking out for them regularly seemed to be in a decent living situation: Their homes were in better shape.\u00a0 Their yards and possession were better maintained.\u00a0 On the other hand, those who were more isolated and lacked regular contact with the community were generally not doing as well.\u00a0 Translation: a strong family and community network can have a major impact on a person’s quality of life<\/p>\n There are many of us who feel a sense of duty and responsibility to the poor and needy in the world.\u00a0 That comes honestly, I think.\u00a0 Jesus spoke often of the need to serve and lift up the lowly, the marginalized, the outcast.\u00a0\u00a0 We often answer this call by finding a local service agency to partner with, go on a mission trip, or give away our money and possessions.\u00a0 Often, though, the needy are closer than we realize.\u00a0 How many of us check in on our actual neighbors now and then, especially those neighbors who are older or have a disability?\u00a0 I’m not talking about the word “neighbor” in a broad sense.\u00a0 I mean our actual neighbor who lives next door or just down the street.\u00a0 When was the last time you offered your help to a young couple struggling to take care of a new home or perhaps a nearby single parent who could use an extra hand now and then.\u00a0 Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31<\/a>)\u00a0 Perhaps it’s time to slip on our shoes and see to our actual <\/em>neighbor, too.<\/p>\n -Shannon<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" My family and I live in a good neighborhood.\u00a0 There are nice homes and even nicer neighbors.\u00a0 Like many other neighborhoods, ours has a Homeowners Association (HOA) that works to maintain a certain level of expectation for how these properties are cared for.\u00a0 Soon after we moved into this house, we received our first HOA…<\/p>\n