17 Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house—
too much of you, and they will hate you.
too much of you, and they will hate you.
We've talked before about how to be a good neighbor; we've talked about not wearing out your welcome, too. I thought of something different when I read this verse, tho, and I hope you will excuse this if you feel I'm a little off the beaten path . . .
To me, this verse speaks of being considerate to our neighbor or friend. To make sure that we don't monopolize their time, and to make certain that we entertain them at our house, just as much as they entertain us at theirs. To avoid being a pest at dinner times or when they just returned from a vacation and need to unpack (unless, of course, you are going to help out by mowing that week-old lawn growth).
My grandmother had a maxim that she lived by, that fits in pretty well here. I'll tell you a little about her . . .she and my grandad were charter members of a Baptist church, and well-known in that community. There were scads of opportunities for get-togethers of all sorts: socials and showers and fellowships, and the occasional funeral, too. If you know Baptists, all of these center around food. I think some church committees must think that a full tummy is the first step to salvation, because there were always lots of good cooks and mounds of food to be devoured by willing attendees!
Of course, one of those committees was in charge of taking food to people's homes in case of sickness or inability to travel to church services, and the positive impact of a well-filled plate or casserole dish cannot be ignored. Many's the person whose heart was gladdened by the care of the cook who prepared something just for them.
Grandma always made sure that when she returned that casserole, or that tupperware meal container, there was something good inside. Maybe some brownies, warm from the oven, or a chilled salad for a hot summer day's supper. To her, it was downright rude to return the dish empty! I learned that from her, and have always done the same.
If we'll be considerate of our neighbors and friends, there will be a smile on their face when we reach their door, not a frown!
Although there haven't been many times when someone brought food, I never thought about returning their dish with more food. What a wonderful idea!!
ReplyDeleteAnd I've been trying to be helpful to my friends in the hospital, without wearing out my welcome. It's hard sometimes to balance that, but so far I think I'm doing ok. :)
Cool post!