A Special Delivery...

OK, two posts in two days.  I’m sorry.  But such a beautiful thing just occurred that I wanted to share.  It’s about love, and given that it’s February, I think rather fitting.

My doorbell rang about 10 minutes ago.  There, standing at my door, was my neighbor.  This particular neighbor has never rang my doorbell.  Several years ago, we stopped speaking to one another for reasons I won’t share.  

As I looked out my window, my heart skipped a beat.  As I said hello, I noticed he was holding a card in his hands.  It had my name on it.

In a voice slightly difficult to understand, he explained to me that he had recently suffered a stroke and is a cancer survivor.  With tears streaming down his face, and mine, we hugged.  Two neighbors, who have had their differences in the past, forgiving each other for hurtful words said to one another.  Hmm, maybe I do see a connection to yesterday’s blog.

As I opened the card, I read his words, “You will be in my daily prayers.  My friends and I will pray for your speedy recovery.”   Apparently he doesn’t know that my cancer is gone too.  Now it’s my turn to knock on his door and share the good news.

Before he left, we hugged again.  He and I both unable to talk.  Tears were silencing our words.  

As I closed my door, I thanked God.  For it is He who can change hearts.  

After my diagnosis, as I read my Bible more and more, I kept stumbling upon the verse “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  -- Matthew 19:19.  Quite honestly, I pretended not to see it.   But it seemed to be written in bolder type than the rest of the verses I was reading.

How could I?  I’ve said many hurtful words to a few of my neighbors over the years.  Yes, this nice Christian girl has said a few things I’m so very not proud of.  

But after renewing my relationship with God at the onset of my cancer, I felt a need to right all of my wrongs.  Apologizing to my neighbors is where I began.

So I wrote three letters.  One of them was to my neighbor who appeared on my doorstep today.  I apologized for my words and that I was ashamed of myself for the way I handled our differences.  I left it on the windshield of his car probably six months ago.  Too timid to actually deliver it to his doorstep.  Or into his hands.  

But obeying God’s Word is healing.  He can erase the pain that we often think can never go away.  

So on this day that I expected to be quite uneventful, proved to be quite an event in this not-so perfect Christian girl’s life.

So the question of the day is this.  

Is there a windshield of a neighbor or a friend that you can leave a letter on?  
Remember, nothing is too big for God.