Teens Teach us More on Being Good Neighbors

When I interviewed Kevin’s grandmother I learned that when Kevin spent time at the Yakima Indian Reservation a compost heap spoke to him. When he arrived home he spent two hours telling his grandmother about his work there and how the rural communities everywhere need to be more aware of their responsibility. He learned a lot about the need to recycle.

It’s great to come home from a mission trip with ideas of how help the needy neighbor—or like me—a wish to blanket the neighborhood with protection. But what about the one person that doesn’t want your help, the one that can’t seem to hold a job, or the crab next door. Can you trust all your neighbors?

“Take this home with you,” the Native American instructor said to the youth. “You can make a difference. Treat everyone the same.”

The Louisville teens listened to his advice and set goals to be a better neighbor. .

1. Don’t put down another person, you don’t know their circumstances in life.  
2. Reach out a hand to help someone else out of a hard place. 
3. Get involved with your neighbors.
4. Listen, you may hear a cry for help.

We may not be able to make a huge difference, but Jesus gave us a simple rule to apply to our everyday lives, whether at school, work or in our neighborhood. Matthew 19:19 “Honor your father and your mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.”