Cathy's Corner

Cathy’s Corner

One morning last week I was riding my bike out of the driveway when I heard high heel footsteps on the other side of the fence. When I got to the end of the fence my neighbor stuck her head around the corner and asked if my husband was home. I told her no that he was already gone but asked if there was something I could do. She said her Montero wouldn’t start and she was going to see if he could look at it. So I got off my bike and said let me look at it, like I know anything about cars. Heck I don’t even have a car. But she had the hood up and it was parked blocking the garage where a Lexus sat. There was another white car parked at the edge of the driveway. I asked if she thought it was the battery and she said yes but she didn’t know how to charge it. I told her that I did and if we could move the white car closer I could hook up the battery cables and try to charge it. She said she just wanted to push the Montero out of the way but if she moved the white car then maybe we could push the Montero over there. So she went and got the keys and moved the little white car. Then she was trying to steer and push the Montero while I was pushing from the front. We moved it back and then I told her to turn the wheel so we could push it forward. She was trying to steer and push and I told her just to get in and steer and I would push. So she did and I did and we pushed it out of the way. She thanked me and I told her I was a horrible neighbor because I had not gotten over to see her, in fact we have never officially met. Gary has talked to her a couple of times and she’s come and asked him for help. Now this is why I’m such a terrible neighbor. Her husband passed away last year during one of our children’s weddings, I can’t remember which one but either July or August. I have had good intentions to get over there and check on her and invite her to church. There is no excuse I’ve just let the hectic pace of my life keep me from being a good neighbor. After we got the Montero moved she thanked me and with tears in her eyes said, “He always took care of things like this. You get used to depending on someone and it’s just so hard.” I hugged her and said I was sorry and that we were there for her anytime she needed anything. I told her I had meant to come over and invite her to church with us many times and I was terrible because I had not done it. She said, “I knew you were active at a church. (ACTIVE – I hated to admit I was a Christian let alone a Minister.) What kind of Christian am I when I didn’t even check on someone that I knew was going through a terrible time? I was going to but I never did. She did tell me where she went to church and I told her once again that if she ever needed anything to please let us know.
So now we have officially met and I intend to be a better neighbor. God’s been showing me so much in the Bible study I’m doing right now but He could have been standing right there in my driveway that morning and hit me with a 2x4 and it wouldn’t have hurt any more than it did as I was standing there hugging her and telling her how sorry I was for her loss. So yes, I’m a horrible person, a loser, and anything else you can come up with. But thankfully God still loves me and is always showing me where I need to improve and what I need to change. He’s showing me to stop having tunnel vision. It’s like praying that God will give me opportunities to be His hands and His feet and I’m so busy looking that I don’t even notice when He lays something right at my feet. Yes I know I’m rather dense but I will try to do better. What an amazing God we have and fortunately forgiving as well and a God of second chances. So I am grateful for the second chance I have to be a better neighbor.
Have a great day in the Lord.