Arrived home last night weary from an out-of-town trip and was just able to squeeze the car into the wee parking space left in front of my house. It was tight because the neighbors’ trash and recycle cans are always placed on my side of their driveway, which is right on the property line, so the cans are in front of my house.
Knocked over a can of leaves and debris as I backed in. “Serves them right,” I justified to myself, “putting their cans where I need to park” (my property has no driveway). It was dark. I was tired. Lots to carry, and it was their fault anyway, so I left the mess for them to deal with.
Out to finish unloading in the light of day, saw the mess, felt convicted, so I started scooping up the leaves and noticed my trash can had been put out and was full of grass clippings. Then it hit me, “the gardeners were here while I was out of town and put these cans out!”
That was MY can of green recycle that I’d knocked over, and was now cleaning up.
Thought I was loving my neighbor as myself, but in reality, was still only loving myself.
Thank You Lord. A beautiful lesson. I will be alert to some way I can bless these neighbors in Your name soon!
© 2017 Melody K. Anderson All Rights Reserved
