Sunday Sentiments

 I made a quick post about this on Facebook on Friday, but I thought it warranted a longer post here, so I'm writing about it today.

As you might remember, the hunt for and purchase of this home was a MUCH faster adventure than we Shaffers like to embark upon. Such is the housing market right now! Long after we settled on buying this house, we learned that prior to the house being built, our property had been a small wooded area. It made me sad to learn they had cleared it out just to build a house, and it made me sadder yet for the neighbors behind and beside us, who lost a beautiful view and gained a noisy and dusty building project. We've promised both neighbors that we will do our best to restore some pretty views to them.

It's silly of me to have twinges of guilt over this, I know. When all those decisions were being made, we were busy at WillowBridge and didn't even know we would be living in this town or that a house was being built for us. We had no clue. But I still feel sad for our neighbors. 

Since the writing of the last Sunday Sentiments post, the last of the outdoor projects have been completed by the builder (except for the replacing of the driveway, but we won't go there). We have landscaping up next to the house. We have trees. We have grass seed! We no longer have a mud mountain. It's been a very exciting week around here, for sure. 

But what happened Friday night took my breath away and made my heart so full. I wanted to share it with you today.

Ryan (and our other new-house neighbors down the road) went outside to start the new full-time job of watering the baby lawn. He had purchased some sprinklers, which we have since concluded are not the most effective options, so they're being fired and new ones are en route. I was inside with Lexi, and he was out trying to strategically arrange sprinklers and hoses. 

I looked out and saw that both the neighbors beside us and behind us - the ones who lost their pretty view because of our house - had pulled out their own sprinklers and hoses, and they had placed them at their respective bordering edges to help us water. They were using their own water supply and both did this of their own accord. We didn't ask.

I hurried to ask Ryan if they were helpling, and he said yes. He said they wanted to. We have budding friendships with both neighbors, but we're still the new kids on the block. We are still the reason they've had an interesting and disquieted year in the neighborhood. The fact that both of them would offer to help was such a gift.

We hear a lot about the awful in this world, and that's probably because there's a lot of awful to hear. But there is also so, so much good. There are kind people who CHOOSE to be generous when they don't have to be. I want to celebrate those people today. I'm so thankful. 

Being new can be hard. Finding your place among people who have long had a place can be hard. Being accepted and shown grace and mercy is such a gift. 

I hope we find many ways to repay their kindness in the years to come, because they certainly blessed us immeasurably this week!