Under His Wings

 

It happened again yesterday. We’ve been living in our new house for just about three weeks. We moved from an urban setting in Reading, Pa. to a suburb. In that three weeks countless people have said, “I’m so glad you’re out of the city!’ Each time it breaks my heart.

We spent the last 28 years in the city, 24 of them in the same house. Our children were raised there which had its struggles but we have many friends in the suburbs who also faced struggles in raising their children. They were different problems, but raising children is work no matter where you live.

 Over those years we did hear about gangs and there were killings, but not in our neighborhood. As I would read about these in the papers I drew some conclusions about what contributed to our safety there.

1. We never joined a gang.

2. Generally speaking the murders were related to drug deals and gangs so we never bought any drugs or hung out where drugs were sold between midnight and 4 am when most of those murders occurred.

Neither of these things were a burden for us.

Our neighborhood was racially mixed. Three weeks ago we had neighbors who were Puerto Rican, Mexican, Costa Rican, African American, and Caucasian. All of them were good neighbors. Their children played outside and we older folks could enjoy our porches and talk with everyone who walked by.

Just before we moved my car died. I called AAA for towing and while I was waiting my neighbor from Mexico, who speaks no English, came home and started to park in front of my car. I went out to tell him that AAA was coming and asked him if he would park elsewhere. He had a blank look on his face, sort of smiled at me so I went back into the house not sure what he was thinking. A minute later my doorbell rang and as I opened the door I realized he had understood what I wanted because he was parked across the street. Standing in front of me was his 6 year old, English-speaking daughter. I greeted her and she said, “My Dad wants to know what kind of help you need with your car.”

That’s a good neighbor! He wanted to answer my plea even though he wasn’t sure what it was!

We had another neighbor who always had an eye on the children in the park – and anyone from outside the neighborhood who was there with them.

There were three or four of us who were always checking out each other’s gardens and sharing perennials. Another neighbor watered my plants when I was on vacation. One year when our children were small we left on vacation with our front door wide open. One of our neighbors noticed, knew we had gone, and politely went over and closed and locked the door (and has teased us about it ever since!).

Over the years our suburban friends have obviously been worried about us and their own safety in coming to see us. Some wouldn’t come and stay for any length of time because they didn’t want to park their cars on the street. Some were afraid for their children and made their kids afraid to be in our home.

 Proverbs 11:12 says, “A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue.”

In my mind when my friends and family tell me that they are so glad we’re out of the city I hear them deriding my old neighbors. I wish they wouldn’t. You see, we miss our old neighbors. Ephesians 4:29, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

It may not seem unwholesome to speak up when someone else does something that relieves your worry for him or her. But, you may want to check out how they feel about it first. They may feel, as we did, perfectly protected under the wings of an Almighty God who had put us in the city in the first place. What seemed risky to many of our friends and family was an act of obedience to stay where God had placed us until He moved us.

God blesses obedience. His blessings to us in the last 28 years included great neighbors and no fear of a place that scared others.

“How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.” Psalm 36:7