love the smell of my house after a long absence. You know the smell? And the feeling that hits you right when you walk in the door whispering home sweet home, welcome back! You know it? That was waiting for Michelle and I as we returned to our beloved Bluffs from two weeks (me) and one week (Michelle) of summer camp late Saturday evening. I missed The Bluffs. I missed the kids. You’d think I might not, since the two weeks I was gone I was surrounded by 400 adolescents, but yes indeed, I missed our people, our kids, our friends. It was a good feeling to be home, a great feeling. There are two particular stories that occurred at The Bluffs during the week that I was gone and Michelle remained that I want to share with you. A story of beauty, and a story of sorrow.
The first story has to do with our neighbor Anna, a hilarious mother of six (the youngest is now 17). As Michelle is talking to Anna one afternoon, Anna asks if we could help her with her electric. Typically she receives some money from somewhere each month while her daughter Shiloh is in school that covers it, but being summer, she hadn’t received any, and therefore had a bill of $72 dollars that she could not pay. She knew Michelle and I were “church folk” and asked if we could help. Michelle responded that if we could not help, we know our community would. So we sent out a message to all of our friends on Facebook who are part of what we are doing asking for help. You responded in beauty, giving more than enough to cover her electric – and more.
Yesterday Anna knocked on our door. She needs to get her food-handler’s permit so that she could get a job, but didn’t have the $10 needed for the class. Furthermore, she didn’t have a way to Monroe for her interview on Monday for a job she really needs. We always support those who are trying, and because of the abundant generosity from the last time we asked for help, we still had money that we could give Anna for her food-handler’s card. And, since I don’t work on Monday, I told her I’d drive her to her interview and back, and if she got the job, then we’d figure out something for the bus. Ten minutes after she left we hear her calling from her balcony outside, Brian! Michelle! We step outside to see what’s up as she smiles and asks, can Shiloh and I come to church with you on Sunday? How do you respond to that? Nothing less than a big smile and an emphatic Yes! So the two of them will (hopefully!) come to the 9am service with us on Sunday, and we’ll drive them back between services before we teach at the 11am service. We never said anything to her about church. We never invited her, we never “evangelized” her. We just loved her. We’ll see what happens.
The second story has to do with perhaps our favorite group of kids, possibly the nicest, sweetest kids in the entire world – if you meet them you’ll understand: Emilio(8), Brian(3), Maria(14), and Ali(11) (all from one family). On the first Wednesday at camp I called Michelle to check in and touch base, and she informed me that their parents had just split up and were getting a divorce. Their dad had moved out, and their uncle had moved in (because without their dad’s income they would have been unable to make rent without help from their uncle). My heart broke. The rest of the week, and all through the next week of camp, my mind was regularly brought back to them. Would the still be there when I got home? Are they ok? How are they feeling? Do they blame themselves? I returned home, and they are still here. They come to our home every day, which is great, because I get a daily hug from Brian! Sometimes I ask them, how are you? Are you feeling sad? They don’t talk about it much at all, and that’s ok. Maybe as we continue to love them we can help them. Right now we just want to be a safe place for them to be loved. We’ll see what happens.
I share those two stories for one reason. As I spent time away from my community, I realized how much I care about my neighbors, the people in community. At camp I had numerous opportunities to share with others what Michelle and I are doing. Unfortunately the majority of people were blown away. A common response was that seems like it must be a lot of work! On the contrary, we both work full time jobs. The reality is that we have chosen to live for a purpose, and that purpose is living every moment with intentionality.
As I lay awake at night, concerned for my neighbors, praying for them, I often ask myself this question: do my friends in Mill Creek lay awake at night concerned for, praying for their neighbors? Do my friends in Lynnwood? In Everett? Do you? Do you stay awake concerned for the people in your neighborhood? What are the stories of your neighbors? Do you know them? Do you help them through their good times and rough times? We all have people struggling in our neighborhoods – maybe not financially, but maybe emotionally, relationally, spiritually. Are we invested enough, do we care enough, to walk with those around us through those situations?
Is it hard? Sometimes. There is sacrifice that comes when we choose to open our hearts to those around us. But there is beauty in knowing that we are living for the Kingdom of God. There is freedom. What seems so hard to begin becomes so simple to live once you open yourself to the possibility that God has actually placed you in the community you are in, not just to live there, but to bring his Kingdom to your neighborhood. It is not just Michelle and I who are called to live this way, this is the calling of Jesus upon all of us!