I listened to what seemed like a 30 minute tirade from my neighbor. Complaints included my uncut lawn, house that badly needed painting and other ordinance violations. My neighbor said there had been talk about filing a complaint with the city. Apparently the neighbors where talking to him, but no one had said anything to me.
My response seemed to fall on deaf ears. I perhaps managed one word to every 50 of his and realized quickly the best I could do was listen and respond when invited. The invitations weren’t often, but I did get in a couple of words.
I left the conversation whirling. The accusations seemed unfair. If the neighbors were talking about me, no one had bothered to talk to me about their concerns. Circumstances had played against me and I was doing the best I could.
Later I went for a walk. I needed some space to clear my head. I knew that revenge belonged the Lord, but I sure did want to get in a word or two of my own. As I walked I wrestled with my thoughts and with the Lord. I wanted so to honor Him, but felt unjustly accused. My thoughts kept wondering about getting even. How sweet that would be! Until I was again reminded that revenge was not mine. How many times during that walk did I turn this over to the Lord? Beyond my count.
Stories Are Important
As I continued my walk, the problem occurred to me. My neighbor didn’t know me. He knew things about me, but he didn’t know my story. For instance, did he know that I’d put a new roof on the house and been laid off of my job at about the same time? Did he know I’d started a new job that initially required many more than 40 hours a week and left me time enough to eat and sleep, but hardly time to cut the lawn.
Perhaps if my neighbor knew my story, he would have had a better understanding of and therefore more empathy for my current set of circumstances. Even more important, I realized, was taking the time to know other peoples’ stories. How many times had I judged another without knowing their circumstances? How many times did other people wish they could have explained to me what motivated their actions?
Though my neighbor’s tirade felt unjust and left me feeling irritated, I also heard the Lord’s message. I could make different choices in the future, listen to stories, be more empathetic and less judgmental. And in the process, hopefully, reflect more of the Father’s love.