Being Neighborly

There is a really great post at Raising Homemakers about Teaching Our Daughters to be Neighborly. You can read it here. I especially loved these thoughts:

We cannot know what form human need will take as it knocks at our door today. Perhaps a tired mom, a burned-out homeschooler, a hurting wife – a neighbor with hunger in her heart and not in her cupboard. That emptiness Jesus is willing to fill, and He may use you and I to be a part of His plan. As a young girl, I always wanted to be a missionary. My Mom would smile and gently remind me that the best place to start was in our own home. Our daughters don’t have to be sent off to a third-world country in order to advance the cause of the Gospel. Our neighbors are our mission field and with a little creativity, opportunity to interact and show them the love of Jesus will be abundant.

My oldest has a heart to be neighborly. So it was interesting to read this and then see how it applies to us. Funny thing I first noticed, I can tend to discourage being neighborly! Delena loves to bake. She certainly doesn't get that from me, I'm OK to bake a cake or a brownies or even a cheesecake once in a while. But this child loves to bake, from scratch. Lately our supplies of brown sugar, confectioners sugar, etc...has been running out weekly. In this post, Jacinda comments how in times past, neighbors would borrow food. Whenever we run out of something, the first thing Delena wants to do is go to a neighbor. Thinking more that it would be a nuisance, I discourage her! Now I need to re-think letting her borrow a cup of flour or sugar or whatever once in a while. I certainly don't mind when a neighbor asks me, so it shouldn't be a problem for Delena to ask them.

Second, I have seen Delena want to be welcoming and loving to our neighbors by baking them things. Our neighbor across the street had his father pass away. She made him homemade chocolate chips cookies. He was quite impressed that she thought to do that. Apparently we have had a missionary family move in behind us. Delena watches for them to be outside so she can go meet them and plan a time to take over a sweet treat. Even last night, a single mom just moved into our neighborhood - literally just as a renter was moving out, she pulled in from Oklahoma! My two girls went to meet them. The mom was unpacking some basic items just for sleeping and the girls helped them unload a few boxes. It went so fast I didn't even have a chance to get my husband to go down and help them unload!

Yes, I am encouraged! It is still very possible to be neighborly and I am thankful that my girls seem to want to love on our neighbors. It really isn't hard and they are encouraging me to do the same. After all, I should be setting the example to them, not the other way around - yet here I am learning from two girls who have a heart that only Jesus can cultivate and mature. Feeling blessed today :)

Have a great Monday!