One tree branch at a time...

We came home Monday and had power. It was such a pleasant surprise to walk into a home, thinking it would be hot and sticky and dark, and find it cool and pretty much normal. I must say, I felt a little guilty, knowing that the majority of Lynchburg was still without power. 

I set out to the clean up of our yard. Nothing major to clean up. Some medium sized tree branches (they seemed big to me...) and a lot of other tree parts. Regardless, it still took me 4 hours in the 100 degree temperatures. I was beat. 

Then I drove around the rest of our town and got a nice wakeup call...

We were spared. I couldn't believe what an hour long storm was able to do to the neighborhoods surrounding ours. Suddenly, my little four hours of yard work seemed pitiful. 

When we came home that night after grabbing some dinner, our neighbors started ragging on us about having power. WHAT? It turned out, our next door neighbors, and the rest of the street, still did not have power. It had stopped with our house. 

They declined any help. They said they were fine. I offered anything I could think of...but they said they were just fine. 

I don't have too many friends here in the Burg yet, but the few I do have were without power too. All my offers to come stay with us were turned down. Everybody said they would be just fine. 

Sheesh. So I sat there in my air conditioned home, with my tv and my internet and my cold water (and hot water for showers...). 

And I got rebellious. Nobody wants my help? Well, I'm gonna help them anyways. 

So, Tuesday I went outside and I did as much as I could to clean our neighbors' yard while they weren't home. Not only did they still not have power, but they had way more debris to clean up. They had two HUGE trees in their driveway. 

I did what I could for a couple hours, and that was that. 

I love knowing that they have know idea who came over to clean up their yard. I felt so sneaky in a good way! 

And, I don't tell you all this to get some sort of credit for cleaning up (since the neighbors don't know...) but to inspire you. I almost didn't post this, because it seemed to defeat the purpose of serving someone without drawing attention to myself. But, I decided the chance of you thinking I was bragging would hopefully be outweighed by the tug on your heart to help someone else in need today...

In the movie, Pay it Forward, little Trevor has a bright idea. Help someone, and in return they do something to help someone else. A little pyramid scheme to, as his assignment for school said, "make the world a better place." The good deeds will keep multiplying and multiplying. It's quite the sentimental, feel good movie. I loved it...

Galations 5:13 tells us to "serve one another in love..."

That doesn't have to be a huge gesture or a big chunk of cash. It's doing what you can.

That's all I could do, and it brought me joy to do it.

And hopefully it brought my neighbors some joy when they came home.

Spread Christ's love...even if it's just one tree branch at a time.

 

Comments

[leaf mulcher]

Oh my! Oh hope everyone is alright. Is that a result of the hurricane Issac? These types of events can become disasters for home owners, I hope you were able to recuperate after this terrible ordeal. It seems like your damage wasn't as bad as the other people in your town. Best of luck to them and you with the clean up.