A Good Example

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

1 Timothy 4:12 

Amid the feverish unpacking of boxes I heard the chime of the doorbell. When I opened the front door I discovered our teenage neighbor standing there with cookies, flowers, and a card in her hands.

Surprised, I took the gifts from her and asked her in. What surprised me even more was that she actually did come in. She acted truly interested in why we had moved and from where. She told me a little about the people who had owned the house before us and about the neighborhood. We discussed where her family went to church and the other churches they had visited before deciding on that one.

The cookies and flowers were so sweet and such a blessing. The card, so thoughtful, contained her parents’ names and phone numbers. Her taking time to visit with me though made the biggest impression.

I needed to sit down and take a break and God used a teenager to provide me with that respite. So encouraged, I continued on my task at hand with a smile on my face and in my heart. My job did not seem so daunting after her visit.

Little things can mean so much. I may be hesitant to help someone because I do not feel I have what they need. Many times though that need is simply to listen and genuinely be interested in what the other person has to say. 

Fortunately for me, my teenage neighbor felt the call for hospitality and did not shy away from it because of her youth. Her act of kindness not only blessed me, but was such a good example for me to do likewise.  

Father, thank you for caring neighbors. Help me to remember this act of kindness from a young person and to reciprocate with others when the need arises.

Susan P.