Let Them In

During my last year at Hope College, I learned prior to graduation, almost everyone is very interested in knowing what your post-college plans are. These conversations became especially interesting after Brooke asked if I would move into the Orion Lakes trailer. 

I became acquainted with looks of intrigue and confusion when I gave my answer to all of these curious people. “After I graduate, I will be moving into a mobile home park.” I explain that I am a “people plant” for an organization called House of Hope, but this always raises more questions about what a people plant does. I talk about youth nights and clothing closets and Christmas programs and all of the wonderful things House of Hope does. To sum it up, I tell them, I am moving in to be a good neighbor. 

When I started moving into Orion, I wanted to help people. Looking back, I realize that my definition of being a neighbor was sort of one-sided. I expected to love people and to lend a helping hand. I did not expect this to be reciprocated.

Coming up on my six month mark, I have learned that being a neighbor is never one-sided. 

My first foray into neighbor-dom happened the evening before an infamous force-mow in the neighborhood. Every Thursday, the park would mow lawns that were a little too long, and charge a pretty penny for it. I found myself on that Wednesday night with an unruly lawn that would surely be force mowed, and no lawn mower to solve my problem. I swallowed a little pride as I walked to my neighbors house to ask if he thought my lawn was long enough to be force mowed. He told me that the park would probably charge me to mow my lawn the next day. But then he insisted that I use his lawn mower. That feeling of “you don’t have to inconvenience yourself to help me” welled up. I told him I would pay him for all of the gas I used. He looked at me very seriously and said “No, you will not pay me. But you will use my lawn mower everytime you need it.” That night, I felt accomplished because my trimmed lawn would mean no force-mow fine. I also felt like somebody had helped me with no sight of anything in return. When you are a neighbor, you enter into a relationship that is not always equal. 

Since that summer day, my neighbors have continued to show me what it means to be a neighbor. 

While delivering poinsettias to people in the park with Brooke and Alyssa, one woman would not let us leave her house without a drink and snack in hand. Another neighbor excitedly told us that she was having Thanksgiving early, and was going to bring me over a plate of food. One of the parents who brings their kids to House of Hope brings me snacks and energy drinks so that I can successfully stay awake during youth night. After a long youth night, my trash can was overflowing. Before he left to go home, a kid took my trash all the way out to the trash can outside without drawing any attention to himself. People have been looking out for me since I moved into this neighborhood. 

Every year, we have friendsgiving during one of our youth nights on Mondays. This year, we invited parents to hangout with us. We asked our volunteers to bring a dish to pass, and told parents there would be food so they could bring a dish to pass if they wanted. I wasn’t sure if any parents would come, and I was afraid that the chaos of youth night would scare them away. On that Monday night, our chairs were full of kids and parents, our table was full of food that my neighbors cooked, and the air was full of laughs and conversation. 

Sometimes I wonder why God calls us to be a neighbor. Jesus could have made this second great commandment to love our friends or enemies or even just people. But he told us to love our neighbors. The catch in being a neighbor is that they are next to you. They are not above you or below you, they are just doing their lives next to you. To be a neighbor, you have to show up and you have to listen and you have to come alongside somebody. That is something we can all do. 

That is what I have learned this year. To be a neighbor, you do not have to be a master chef or a therapist or have lots of resources to share with other people. You do not have to have all of the answers or have it all together. To be a neighbor, you must show up with what you have. In other words, you should bring a dish to pass. But there will be times when you cannot show up to the table with something to pass. These are the times when we learn more deeply what a community is, because we have neighbors that are willing to feed us with what they brought.  

This is my challenge to myself and to you. Be present enough with your people that you are willing to come alongside them in their time of need. But also let them in. Let people show up for you. Then you will see the beauty in God asking us to be neighbors. This is where community is born. 

-Olivia