Sometimes I get discouraged in trying to reach out to my neighbors. One obstacle is time--although I do have a a heart to develop and then deepen relationships with neighbors, it seems that months slip by between our conversations and the level of our relationship stays stagnant and immature.
But, God is a creative God and faithful to honor the intent of our hearts! I love that about Him. So, I have been telling Him about my heart for my neighbors and how frustrated I've been with my own time and energy limitations. I've been asking Him to work something out for me, to put neighbors in my path, to even bring them to me!
There is this one new neighbor in particular who just moved in three doors down. She's friendly and I probably have a good bit in common with her. I think they are Jewish. Anyway, we can't seem to make even a short visit happen.
Well, she sent me an email a few weeks ago asking me if I might be willing to correspond with a friend of hers who lives in Hong Kong. Her friend, Michelle, is pulling her daughter out of school and needs help getting started with homeschool.
I love the way God uses the unexpected, as it turns out that I'm having some really thoughtful email conversations with Michelle, which keep touching upon Him. Of course, we are talking a lot about homeschool, but I can see the Lord gently guiding us down some deeper roads as well, as we talk about what I teach our children and why. Interestingly enough, her daughter's allergist (she's having all kinds of health/allergy problems) is a Christian as well! I can see the wheels turning in her mind trying to figure out "what is up" with these "Christians" popping up in her life suddenly! Both Michelle and her husband are very new age in their perspective, though I can sense she's confused and frustrated trying to figure out exactly what she does believe.
It's bizarre and encouraging to think that the Lord is using me and some allergist in Hong Kong to put Michelle in touch with Him! I can't wait to see how He'll use the relationship in her life, though I may never know all of it until Heaven.
Praise God for His faithfulness in opening unexpected doors and "bringing" people right to my email box to talk with about Him! Who would guess that my efforts to know a neighbor would turn into an ongoing conversation with a woman who lives in Hong Kong? I love His creative Spirit!
Also, please pray for Michelle and for our email conversations--that His Spirit would be at work across the miles and that her heart would be open to Him.
Oh...and pray that I would finally get to sit down and share a coffee with my new "local" neighbor too!
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