Being a Good Neighbor: When the dog bites, when the trash stinks, when the bridge is bad

Yes indeed, if you have ever seen the Sound of Music, you quite possibly could read this blog's subtitle and hear Julie Andrews singing those lyrics in your head. (The songwriter in me made sure the syllables match exactly, which is no surprise at all to my songwriter friends and students!) I'm quite sure that Rogers and Hammerstein would not appreciate that re-write. And, I am sorry for getting that song stuck in your head. If I were a better neighbor, I would not have done such a thing to you, my virtual neighbor. But, I still have a lot to learn about being a neighbor....

WHEN THE DOG BITES
...which is what I realized last Friday morning when my quiet time with God was interrupted by the loud squawks of our distressed rooster, and my wife's impassioned plea for me to do something about the dog that had its jaws clamped around our new pet. (Yes, it is true that we have a pet rooster...more about that in another post, maybe...it certainly merits a post of its own!) I ran outside to see a strange dog taking a bite out of the hind end of our rooster. Adrenaline kicked in and I chased the dog off with a big stick and some angry growling noises. For the next few minutes, I wondered if the rooster was dead while I kept the dog at bay. The rooster did not move- it was a miserable pile of ruffled feathers. The dog kept coming back looking for seconds. I kept shaking my stick and yelling for it to go home. When the adrenaline faded, I was angry...angry that someone else's irresponsibility caused harm to something I was responsible to protect. And, I was sad because the rooster's crowing was a source of comfort to me and brought back great memories of my life in the Dominican Republic. So, with a big stick in my hand, and my eyes on the pile of feathers, I prayed out loud. I gave my anger and my sadness to God. And, I confessed that I had no idea what to do in this situation. Slowly, but surely, God led me step-by-step. I learned that good neighbors don't assume the worst. Good neighbors believe that relationships with people are more important than roosters. And, good neighbors can offer grace while at the same time being firm. So, I wrote this post on our neighborhood social media platform:

There is a large black and brown dog roaming around our yard. I think it is at least part German Shepherd. It has tags dangling around his neck, so it seems to me that it belongs to someone. I came outside this morning to watch him taking a bite out of one of our chickens. It has since come back two more times. I want to give the owner a chance to come and get it. I understand that accidents can happen and dogs can get out of well-secured areas. But, if it is still coming around later today, I will call Animal Services. This is not safe for my chickens, or for my children (much more important!). Thank you!

My post was met with help (another neighbor caught the dog and returned it to its owners) and appreciation (the owners apologized to me and told me that their dog had slipped out the front door that morning and they "appreciated" my post.) I told them that I was glad to meet them, even if it had to be under such circumstances. Our rooster has recovered (except for its tail feathers), it seems. And, I learned about being a neighbor.


WHEN THE TRASH STINKS
A few days later, I was walking in the neighborhood with my two older kids. We got caught in the rain, and before we knew it, we were soaking wet. As we turned onto our street, we noticed that one of our neighbors trash cans had tipped over and trash was streaming down the street in a river of rainwater. At that moment, I had a thought..."pick it up." We could have easily walked right on by. It wasn't our trash, or our responsibility. But, we were already soaking wet. And, we could save a neighbor some gross work and frustration by picking it up. And, there was no car in the driveway so I thought we could do this good deed and no one would even have to know. So, I rallied my kids and we started picking up rain-soaked fast-food wrappers, and baby wipes, and dirty diapers. Just then, our neighbors pulled into the driveway. They were grateful, and I think a little embarrassed. I was able to say that it wasn't their fault and we were just glad to help. Oh, and we live in the house at the top of the hill. Nice to meet you. Good neighbors aren't afraid to get dirty to help someone out. And, they don't care about their efforts being recognized.

WHEN THE BRIDGE IS BAD.
The same day as the trash pick-up, and just two days after the dog/rooster incident, we had another great opportunity to meet a neighbor and to serve lots of other neighbors without any recognition. There is a path through the woods from our neighborhood to the local high school. And, on that path is a bridge over a creek/drainage ditch. A while back, my oldest daughter noticed that the bridge was missing lots of slats, meaning that people had to balance on the telephone pole joists if they wanted to get across. It was dangerous and inconvenient. She asked if we could do something about it. We want to encourage our kid's awareness of community needs and their initiative! So, we took some of the money we gave Jesus for Christmas and bought some wood with it. And, we used our new-found construction skills (thanks to the house renovation!) and set out to repair the bridge before school started back the next day. While we were repairing the bridge, a neighbor came through and asked us what we were doing. When we explained, he asked if we were using our own money to pay for the bridge. I was able to explain that it was God's money (which he couldn't get over...) and that we were glad to use it to serve others. He offered to help and we spent the next thirty minutes getting to know each other and working together to build this bridge. Good neighbors see needs. And good neighbors don't always wait for someone else to step up and meet the needs.




I am learning that you never know when you will have an opportunity to be a good neighbor. I am learning that often negative situations can be opportunities for relationships to be built. And, I am learning the power of extending the grace that we have received. What are you learning about being a good neighbor?