As I watched Hurricane Florence pummel North Carolina, it brought back memories of a problem that was much closer to my home. It has been a year since Hurricane Harvey wreaked havoc on Houston and other Texas coastal communities. In an area accustomed to dealing with too much rain, Harvey washed away homes, businesses, and people’s dreams. When the forecast suddenly turned deadly, people were told to shelter in place, but many of those places became deathtraps as the water continued to rise. What were they to do with rescue services being overwhelmed? Even the National Guard couldn’t get people out fast enough.
That is when people started showing up with trucks and boats that could make it through the flooded streets. Help didn’t stop there. Churches became shelters, food and water came in from businesses and neighboring cities. So much was donated, they asked people to stop giving. People came in teams and as individuals, looking to see if they could help. Volunteers took care of themselves, so as not to add to the burden. Bar-B-Q grills were set up and fed anyone who was hungry. Many stayed to help residents’ clean debris out of their homes, so they could begin the long road to recovery. Who were these people and why did they help? They were neighbors and that is what neighbors do.
We live in a well-established community and most of my neighbors have lived here for a long time. In the Air Force and the Foreign Service, we moved every few years and were always leaving or being left by the people we met. In some places we were isolated from local residents by language or for security reasons and never got to know them. I like having neighbors and have begun reaching out to them. My wife and I participated in the National Night Out, to get to know more people. I saw one couple there, not long before the husband was killed in their home by a burglar. I was able to pass our condolences to his widow and offer my help. Thankfully, they are Christians and already have the best help available. I recently discovered my closest neighbor has cancer. I want to help, but also don’t want to intrude.
Why should I bother? We have family living nearby that need us and I have friends in Church that we have known for 25 years. Our Pastor is 88 and can use all the help I can give. I don’t need more tasks on my to-do list. JESUS said it is important! When asked which the greatest commandment is, He said “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind… And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mat 22:37-39 KJV). JESUS said loving your neighbor is second to loving GOD and the standard is like you love yourself! When asked “who is my neighbor” JESUS told the story of the Good Samaritan and that broke down all cultural and religious barriers of the day.
The main help I can give them the love GOD gave me. “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 KJV). Once they get an idea how much GOD loves them, they will be more open to His forgiveness. Just think, loving your neighbor might lead them to JESUS and they could be your neighbor forever!
Wayne Lance (2018)