Cycles of Life

Today has been really hard. Tonight is even harder. As I glance out our kitchen windows, my view of the neighbors kitchen and family room is dark. The familiar glow of the television's screen is not flickering. The faint light of a lamp in the kitchen is dim.

Yes, I am a nosy neighbor, but this is different.

When we moved into this home three years ago, we gave up our familiar neighbors and good friends. We gave up the view of the neighbor's swimming pool from our breakfast nook. Since our family rarely eats at the dinning room, the kitchen table is where we eat all our meals no matter what a realtor call the area of the home. The view from our table is an important part of our daily life.

Settling into our new home and our new neighborhood has been a slow process. It has been easier to paint and re-paint rooms than it has to begin establishing relationships to replace the friendships that had grown deep in the eight years in our former home. However, we have been so blessed by our neighbors right next door, an elderly retired couple who are wonderful grandparents.

At first they were a little apprehensive when a family with FOUR kids moved into the home that had formerly been occupied by a single woman with grown children out of the house. But my children have charmed them and won their hearts. (I’ve got good kids.)

Christopher began man bonding with the gentleman. Yard work, lawn movers, firewood, and the deer that wander through our backyard have filled many an afternoon conversation. My little boys have loved accompanying our neighbor lady and her sweet little dog Spinner on walks through the neighborhood. Of course we did have to explain to them that they couldn’t carry Spinner on their walks. He actually needed the exercise.

I’ve listened to the squeaky sounds of their garage door in the mornings and learned their routines. I knew when they would leave and when they would return each day. And every night, the television’s light flickered into our kitchen window as they stayed up watching TV later than Christopher can stay awake. I’ve found peace in the familiarity of the cycle of daily life.

This morning was just odd all around. Two kids that needed to stay home sick from church and a third needing to stay with them so Christopher and I could lead children’s worship time together. I missed the first service that I normally attend to finish up some details at home and make sure the threesome was settled in for a morning of TV entertainment while we were gone.

As I was preparing to leave, I noticed our neighbor’s son-in-law’s truck parked on the driveway. Totally odd! You see he is also our Sunday school teacher at church. Usually his family would already be at worship service and by now he’d be preparing to start Sunday school soon. There was still a little time before it started, so maybe it wasn’t totally odd I thought to myself.

As I loaded supplies for kids’ worship into my car, he was snow-blowing the driveway next door. Something just didn’t seem right. Okay, 12 inches of snow falling on the first day of spring didn’t seem right the day before. Our neighbor’s driveway being cleared is totally normal. He is always one of the first to have any snow cleared away; we’re the ones with packed ice patches remaining long after everyone else’s has melted away. But for his son-in-law to be operating some of his prized machinery was odd. (Our neighbor has the coolest stuff. Super-duper lawn mower!) If it hadn’t been for the loud noise, I thought of calling over to ask if anything was wrong with the gentleman, but let him continue working instead. Surely, he would finish up and be right behind me on the way to church.

Placing my final load in the car, he stopped the snow-blower and came over. Before I could even speak, my question was answered. A severe stroke last night…not looking good…no response…at a local hospital.

I’m grieved. I’m concerned. I don’t know what to do or how to help. Our sweet neighbor lady and her husband. What now?

I continue to pray for the whole family, but my heart hurts so much. How do you love your neighbors so much when your relationship consists of chats in the driveway, candies for the kids at Halloween, and watching the deer eat the corn laid out on his driveway for them? Tonight, I’m missing the familiar cycle of our life as neighbors. I’m missing the warm glow of light from their home that reminds me that all is well and good.

Secretly, I’m also saddened because my mind had already planned for them to watch from their windows when our newest daughter arrived home. I couldn’t wait for them to meet her. I wanted them to see her building her first snowman in the backyard, swinging and sliding, riding the Big Wheel and scooter in the driveway…just like they had watched Keziah.

Father, like I tried to teach the kids to pray today…not my will, but Yours.