Neighbors

Marie lives in a tent in the woods across the street from me. 
 
We met when she was "borrowing" a few watts to charge up her cellphone by way of an outlet on my garage. That was a few weeks ago. Since then Marie and Guzman come and go, mostly unseen, to the plug or the hose with my blessing. 

Early today there was a loud and relentless knock at my door. (Early even for me). I opened the door in my nightgown with my hair....never mind how the hair looked...and there she was. "Hi! Remember me your neighbor from across the street?" She had an issue about something in the neighborhood and she just knew I would want to hear about it. 

All that aside, what struck me was that Marie considered herself to be my neighbor and considered I was hers. "Hey, you in the tree. Yeah you. Better get down. I'm showing up at your house today for dinner." (Jesus to Zacchaeus). 

Here all along I had been thinking "homeless" and Marie was thinking "neighbor." Bless me Father for I have sinned...

Build Me A Boat

The water is wide I cannot cross. And neither have I wings to fly. Build me a boat that will carry two and both shall row my love and I. - English Folk Song

God’s unfailing love for us is an objective fact affirmed over and over in the Scriptures. It is true whether we believe it or not. Our doubts do not destroy God’s love, nor does our faith create it. It originates in the very nature of God, who is love, and it flows to us through our union with His beloved Son. ~ Jerry Bridges

Whatever water you need to cross there is a boat waiting at the shoreline. The oarsman came from Eternity to row you across.


Painting by Marc Fishman