My Horticulturally Gracious Neighbor, Mr. “The Donald”
A few years ago, my wife and I were in the front yard of our very first (and current) home. Having moved only a year before to the great state of Florida, home to beaches and theme parks and retired people with golf carts, we stood in awe and gratitude, taking in the moment, with our kids running around the front lawn and the sun setting over the nearby lake and a silver-haired gentleman riding his bike down the sidewalk.
Life was good, but something was missing. At least, according to my wife. She looked at our front landscape and expressed her desire to add a small palm tree.
After all, we were Floridians now.
The next day I walked outside and, out of the corner of my eye, took note of a small, beautiful, freshly-planted palm tree. After doing some investigative work, I found that the culprit was my bike-riding neighbor Donald. Or, as my confused children referred to him, “the Donald.”
Since respect is very important to my bride and me as we raise our children, we reminded our kiddos of the importance of using honorific titles when addressing our elders. Thus, “Mr. The Donald.”
Over the past few years, Mr. The Donald who lives down the street has planted five of those little palm trees in my front yard, as well as three plumerias, two pineapple plants, and some wildflowers.
One day he saw me trying in vain to edge the Saint Augustine with a weed whacker. (I know, I’m an amateur). The next day I found an old edger on my doorstep. Twice when things were busy (i.e. a new baby) he came over and helped with some trimming.
He recently gave me 4 more little trees to help fill out the landscape at our new church building in Sorrento.
And it’s not just me and my family. I’ve seen Mr. The Donald helping neighbors all over our ‘hood, and more than a handful of little palm trees planted.
I was driving through the neighborhood with my eight-year-old son Logan the other day when he randomly offered the following obvious observation:
“Mr. The Donald is a good neighbor, isn’t he dad?”
A first century missionary named Paul argued in a letter to Galatia that the entirety of the Hebrew Scriptures is essentially contained in one simple command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
It seems simple, doesn’t it? Even too simple?
Well yes, and no. It’s easy to wrap your head around ---but living it out will require you to pay attention, to lean in, to take initiative, to sacrifice time and energy and resources…because that’s what good neighbors do. It may even cost you a tree or two.
But something definitely grows out of it (and not just foliage).
In the words of Karen Gieseker, the infectious disease epidemiologist (bonus points for epic job description there, well done…): “Right now we don’t need churches to create a bunch of new programs. What we need is for the people who attend those churches to simply be good neighbors and do so in a careful and thoughtful manner.”
Kinda like Mr. The Donald.
Questions to ponder:
What do you think “definitely grows out of” being good neighbors? Could it be joy for both you and the recipient?
How can you be a good neighbor? Plan a date to do it, writing it on your calendar.
How can you be a good friend? Plan a date to do it, writing it on your calendar.