Christian Crazy

Here’s the crazy thing about being a christian. It makes you do things you don’t normally do. And it makes you feel things you don’t usually feel.

I had just finished my morning run yesterday when I spotted my good neighbor. I don’t mean that sarcastically. I’m serious. This man is good. Every Friday, if my trash bins are still on the sidewalk he quietly moves them back by my garage. I didn’t know who my good samaritan was at first until a couple of weeks ago when he hollered to me from his lawn that he was the good neighbor who wanted to help.

Frankly, I’ll take that kind of neighbor even though it comes with a slight cost of having to listen to his daily updates on the street happenings.

As was the case yesterday morning.

He first reminded me of his good deeds to me, just because he was a decent man.

I then got the run down on every single person in my neighborhood.

I knew we would eventually get to “them”.

“Them” as in the neighbors immediately to my side. The ones I’d like to stop seeing by putting up a 10 foot fence between us. Yeah, those neighbors.

He started by giving me some great news. They rent. They don’t own. I could hardly believe my luck. Here I had them living next to me until Christ returns. I had to stop myself from doing a little dance. Wouldn’t want to scare my nice neighbor with my crazy dance moves.

But just when I thought the day couldn’t get any better, Mr.nice neighbor burst my small bubble by throwing in one last comment: “The mom just lost her job you know. They may just not be here much longer.”

There. He’d just done it. It took all of 2 seconds to burst my little bubble to shreds.

I was momentarily silenced and felt as if I’d been kicked in the gut.  I then felt a big lump in my throat and yes, the tears pooled in my eyes.

There are times I struggle with being a christian.  This was one of them.

I went straight home and got on my knees and started praying for my crazy neighbors. I mean serious focused prayer on their behalf. I pictured this single mom who recently overcame breast cancer smoking her cigarettes on the street somewhere with her 2 year old granddaughter, while her 2 teenage daughters did God knows what to survive.

And my heart broke for them. I’ve been praying for them ever since.

Oh, and I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want a fence anymore. I’m gonna try to get to know them. I want to tell them about someone who may be able to help them. Someone who already knows all about them. I’ve been telling him about them, you see. And I think He may be the guy to get them out of this mess.

It’s crazy being a Christian. You do things you don’t normally do. You feel things you don’t normally feel.

Thank God for that.

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