A Small Town in a Big City

Ted and I had no idea what God had in store for us when we moved into this house. When we were looking at the house, I never thought to look around at the neighbors. We were desperate to get out of the apartment, and this house proved to be God's perfect provision...just days before our lease ended. I didn't have any expectations for the neighborhood. I was accustomed to apartment life where people live busy and private lives. So often, the apartments felt like a ghost town with an occasional exchange of cars. So, you can imagine how sweet it felt when we pulled in and the couple across the street waved from their front porch. People came to our door with cookies, muffins and gifts. The neighborhood association president came by for a visit and told us about the July 4th parade, socials, and newsletter. I didn't know neighborhoods had newsletters.

I was really excited to meet the couple living across from our driveway. He is a Home Depo manager and is always working on his yard. His wife loves to be outside too, and seems to really enjoy an afternoon chatt. It felt nice to know their names, and to be greeted everytime we arrived at the house.

It didn't take long for us to meet the family across the street from us. They came over just after we moved in with a basket of cookies. I was glad to see they were a young couple, with a little girl about a year older than Fin. She is a stay-at-home mom, which has been an enormous gift to me. We have spent many afternoons together, watching our kids play and having an adult conversation. They have been very generous to us...handing down clothes, inviting us over for dinner, watching Fin when we needed it, texting us when our garage door is up. It's really sweet to have such close friends live right across the street.

I didn't meet my 82 year old neighbor for a few weeks after the move. The first time I saw her, she was mowing her lawn, in her speghetti strap tank top and her white hair spun into a bun. She spent a lot of time outside, walking around the lawn, watering the flowers. Eventually, we connected in the front yard where she gave me some gardening tips....my first time with flowers and I just knew I would kill them. I made some banana bread one afternoon and decided that she might like to have it, so I knocked on her front door. She invited me in, apologized for the mess and explained that she needed to get rid of some things. When I looked around the house, I couldn't believe my eyes. Every room was stuffed from floor to ceiling with stuff. There was a couch, a lamp and a chair sitting in her Living Room, the only spot in the house for someone to sit. Finney and I sat down and listened to stories of her brothers and sisters, children and their wives. Over time, we have become good friends. She loves to sit outside and is anxious to talk about what is on her mind. I think she is on a quest to free herself of the clutter because she often gives me things...old dolls, tea pots, or farmer magazines.

The family living across the street is another one of God's gifts. The 8 year old daughter is really entertained by Finney, so she comes over to the house a few days a week. Fin loves her because she makes a lot of crazy faces and chases her around the house. I saw them outside last week, as we were finishing our walk, and the mom invited us in for coffee. They decided to put in Michael Jackson's Greatest Hit cd, and we all danced around the room to "Thriller". Finney was bubbling over with joy, bouncing around in her baby dance fashion.

I've looked at each house surrounding our home and wondered about the story that it represents. Each time I meet a new neighbor, it's like a veil is removed. One afternoon, a lady approached me while Finney and I were playing in the front yard. She explained that her mom lived in the house across the street and unfortunately, was grieving the loss of her dad. She asked me to look out for her, stop by for visits or invite her to go on a walk. I was thrilled to help and excited to make a new neighborhood friend. Mimi has become another grandparent to Finney. We spend a lot of time watching Finney crawl up and down her stairs and sort through the rocks in her front yard. I have learned a lot, listening to her tell stories about Jim. She is deeply sad to have lost her best friend, but she has a sweet outlook on life and a real appreciation for the gifts God has given her.

Sometimes, I dream about living in a small town with one grocery store and a car mechanic named Hank. My heart is drawn to that because I enjoy being surrounded by people who have time to sit on their front porch. I feel blessed because I think we found a small town right in the middle of this big city. God certainly had a hidden agenda in mind when we moved here. We thought that we were getting the greatest gift to have a house, but now I'm realizing, the greater gift has been this small town neighborhood.