Do you really—I mean really, know your neighbors? From pews, classrooms and recliners, I’ve found myself sitting in, amongst the five southern states I’ve lived in, whenever I heard a preacher, a teacher or read how an author defined a neighbor, it was always folks who live way out there.

People you meet at the post office, a lady who drops one of her grocery bags in the parking lot so you help, or like complete strangers who have approached me, asking for water. Yes, those are types of neighbors, per se.

But do you really–I mean really, know your neighbors? The ones who live on either side of you, or the ones who reside across the street from your residence. Or in the ever-growing need for condos, it may be those who live above or below you. In fact, the root word for neighbor means: one who lives near another.

From the few Anne Lamott books I’ve read so far, I’m impressed with her heart for the community in which she specifically lives. She first invites you through the open door of her books with her autobiographical style of writing that’s peppered with self-deprecating humor.

From her most recent offering, titled Somehow, she writes:

“My husband said something a few years ago that I often quote: Eighty percent of everything that is true and beautiful can be experienced on any ten-minute walk.” (pg. 1)

“Life delivers the unbelievable so often that you might as well believe.” (pg. 20)

“Life is such a mystery that you have to wonder if God drinks a little.” (pg. 101)

 “Attics are so spooky, and I had to remind myself that courage is fear that has said its prayers.” (pg. 133)

 “You can have the sun and its harsh glare, but leave me the moon. It softens the night.” (pg. 134)

After you smile from Lamott’s words, then you find yourself in a situation she has either walked through or is still walking through, and by then she’s grabbed your heart and all you wanna do is go help someone.

In Somehow, she retells a story she has told her Sunday school kids for thirty years. “A young girl is having a hard time falling asleep one night and calls out for her mother. Her mother comes in and gently tucks her in again and assures her that Jesus is there in the room with her, so she needn’t be afraid. This goes on and on, each time the increasingly annoyed mother saying basically the same thing until finally, in the dark, the little girl says plaintively, “I need someone with skin on. This is the main instruction that I would leave my family in my swag bag of spiritual truth: be goodness with skin on.” (pg. 11-12)

And for me and my wife-Gina, the persons we can regularly help, are yes–our next door neighbors. We all kind of help each other like the couple of empty nesters who live to the right of us, Bryon and Missy. Just last week, Missy rang our doorbell so I opened the door and she asked, “Do you mind if my husband fixes your mailbox?” It wouldn’t close properly and I’m sure Bryon got tired of seeing it hang out there each time he passed our house. I was embarrassed but thankful for his help.

To the left of us is a newly married couple, Jeff and Sherri. When Sherri was a single mom, we’d help her with little things like her trash and having her gas lantern lit that sits atop her brick mailbox by the street, so it looked like someone lived there.

Directly across from us is an elderly couple, Richard and Carolyn Chapman. They are both approaching 90 years of age. Richard had a stroke last November so I have Carolyn open her garage door every Tuesday afternoon, so I can roll their trashcan out to the street and then roll it back into their garage Wednesday around lunchtime. Gina loves to make them dinner and oh the joy we feel when Carolyn opens her door and smiles a big one, knowing she won’t have to worry– what’s for supper.

When a dying Bradford pear tree uprooted this past spring in the Chapman’s front yard, during a storm, I later got with Will, who lives diagonally across from us, to the right. Will used his chainsaw and I helped his wife Lacy and their son Rhett clean up the mess.

When Jennifer, who is married to Luke, and lives on the other side of the Chapman’s, had a neurological accident, we took them a meal when she was unable to cook, besides praying for her and regularly asking how Jennifer is doing.

Yes, honestly, those are small examples. And my motive is not to toot my horn but to show how to help with everyday stuff. And I use one of my many life mottos here: Something is better than nothing.

No, you and I are not omnipresent like Jesus, the One Anne Lamott spoke about to her children’s class. But that same Jesus wants us to be present to the needs of our neighbors and he has already made it clear in the gospel of Mark.

“Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  No other commandment is greater than these.” (29-31, NLT) Well, there is your mandate.

And instead of immediately jumping in to help your neighbors that you maybe haven’t helped before, consider getting to know them first. We’ve all used lame excuses not to make the first move. “Well, I’ve tried to be nice to our neighbors, but when they pull in the garage, their garage door closes too fast!” Seriously!?

Instead of singing with Mr. Rogers, “Won’t you be my neighbor?” change it up. “I will be your neighbor.”

Be encouraged by the lyrical video below, “Helping Hand”. Click below to view video. Pictures courtesy of pexels.com except Lamott book cover-“Nelson & his Nikon”