i grew up in what i would consider one of the best neighborhoods around. my best friend lived a couple streets over, our house was at the end of the cul-de-sac, there were kids everywhere, we would play outside almost every afternoon until the street lights came on, we could ride our bikes to the community pool or to thrifty's for a $0.45 cone without parental supervision, we gathered frequently, and all new each other. i have so many fond memories of amberwick lane and feel incredibly blessed to have grown up in such a loving community.
fast forward to 5 years ago when alex and i were pregnant with aj and house hunting for the first time. it was an exciting time but extremely overwhelming for me. i have a hard time purchasing a pair of shoes let alone a house. i prayed hard for our first house- the location, size, style, year it was built, etc. we looked all over north county san diego for the perfect house and it just overwhelmed me. there were houses here and there that i liked but i never felt at peace or had that aha moment until i began praying for one thing- community. i reflected on my childhood home and what was most important for me as a kid and also what would be important for me as a mom and wife. i began praying that wherever we moved, god would provide me with a christian neighbor. i prayed that our children would have great friends to play with and that we would live on a safe street to play on (specifically a cul-de-sac). i began to care less and less about the size and city and more about the community of people.
it has been 4 and a half years since we have lived in our first home, in a cul-de-sac, and i couldn't be more happy. about a month after we bought the house we found out that a couple in our growth group at church lived on our street and has since become great great friends of ours. we jog together, do bible study together, encourage each other, help each other, break bread together, and our kids love each other.
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callie, aj, cailin
god has been so faithful to provide the friendships and fellowship in our neighborhood that i prayed for. my hope is that this becomes a community that truly knows and cares for one another. i desire to serve and love my neighbors as god has called me to and to step out of my comfort zone to share the love of jesus with them.
james 2:8 says, "if you really keep the royal law found in scripture, 'love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing right."
there are many days when i neglect to say hi to a neighbor or help when i should or cut short a conversation or fail to really get to know someone because i am so self-focused. i am trying to reach out more and discover what loving your neighbor as yourself really means because i know it will only draw me closer to god and in turn, my neighbors will see god in me.
beth moore wrote in her james study, "our devotion to god and true religion is illustrated most poignantly on the pages of other lives."
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aj and his twin buddies, sierra and aidan, who live a couple houses down. we want tea!
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jacob and juliet- friends across the street.
