First Baptist Church of Herndon

A Good Neighbor?

Linda Soller | Feb 12, 2021

A large plastic brown owl hangs high in the woods behind our house. The actual tree resides in my neighbor’s yard. Yes, when it appeared the word crazy did cross my mind. When we moved to our heavily wooded neighborhood years ago, it was common to see fake owls in yards, stuck to windows, hanging from light posts and tree limbs. We were told the fake owls helped deter the very real woodpeckers who loved all of our wood siding. Who were we to doubt? The ginormous owl seems odd, but truthfully it isn’t hurting anything. So, doing what good neighbors do, we try to ignore it. Not battle worthy.

Overall, ours is a friendly neighborhood. A few people, some long-timers and some newcomers, seem to embrace nurturing the friendly atmosphere. They take the time to know how people are and address the needs of others. Just the other day our single mom next door neighbor brought all of our mail/packages up our snowy slippery driveway, so we didn’t have to risk sliding to the mailbox to get it. What if she had fallen and gotten hurt? Crazy did briefly cross my mind again, but grateful and humbled were the words that stuck with me. She seized the opportunity.

As Christians we are to care for others, but too often we decide if our gesture can’t be grand and make a big difference, we just won’t do anything. Our focus should be on doing what we can, even when the gesture seems small. With churches everywhere opting for virtual worship, it’s easy to drop out. I mean, will anyone really notice?  The decisions on when to go virtual are not easy.  Church leaders, like all of us, are dealing with challenging times. No matter what they decide someone is bound to be unhappy. Your decision is between you and God. Seeing the numbers of people watching a virtual service, hearing voices even when the video camera is turned off, or getting a thank you for “doing what you do” note can go a long way. Small gestures that show support. Our churches are our neighborhoods of faith. Are you a good neighbor?

 Have a great week! :o) Linda

P.S. I have to say I have not seen any ginormous woodpeckers since the big owl arrived!