Wednesday, July 14, 2004
Howdy Neighbor!
The other morning I was leaving for the gym around 5:00 a.m. As I was driving down our little road I saw something off to my right. My little dog was standing in front of the neighbor’s house with a large bag of Cheetos in his mouth. Now picture Benji; the bag was almost as big as him. It did cover up his whole face. Hooch is a Yorkie-Pug mix that came out looking like Benji with big eyes and a clipped tail. He was so proud of his conquest. I kept wondering how he and my other dog Shelby were gaining weight when they never eat all their dog food, but now I guess I know. We live on a lake and most of the people on our road are just weekenders. So I guess Hooch and Shelby think they have squatters rights, after all these people don’t live here, I guess they don’t need that bag of Cheetos. I often complain about the fact that these people come in and act like they own everything! They park in the middle of the road; they walk in the middle of the road and look at you like you are crazy when you try to drive past them. Well EXCUSE Me!!!!
But then I wonder; do my dogs have had more interaction with these people than I do? I haven’t met any of them, don’t know anything about them. Even though Hooch and Shelby are just poachers, they have at least made the effort. I think sometimes I am like the expert in the law in Luke 10, I just want to know “who is my neighbor”? I mean, surely these weekend people don’t count, do they? I have so much trouble staying busy with my life that I hardly interact with people who don’t do the things I do; my church, tennis, work, work-out, family. Sure if I saw them in a ditch I would stop and help them (I think). But is that where my duty ends as a Christian? Should I at least let them see Christ living in me? This is a struggle for me. I don’t know what the answer is or will be but I know that it is something God is putting on my heart to work on.
But then I wonder; do my dogs have had more interaction with these people than I do? I haven’t met any of them, don’t know anything about them. Even though Hooch and Shelby are just poachers, they have at least made the effort. I think sometimes I am like the expert in the law in Luke 10, I just want to know “who is my neighbor”? I mean, surely these weekend people don’t count, do they? I have so much trouble staying busy with my life that I hardly interact with people who don’t do the things I do; my church, tennis, work, work-out, family. Sure if I saw them in a ditch I would stop and help them (I think). But is that where my duty ends as a Christian? Should I at least let them see Christ living in me? This is a struggle for me. I don’t know what the answer is or will be but I know that it is something God is putting on my heart to work on.
