Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.  Colossians 3:12-15,17

 These words have been my challenge as of late. Our next door neighbor that moved in about a year and half ago decided when the pandemic started to raise chickens so that she always had eggs. Okay, I get that. A few chickens living next door was no problem. They were free range and were kind of fun to watch as they roamed about the yard, although the roosters were a little annoying when they started crowing at 4:30 am, but we got kind of used to that. I thought to myself how I’ve always liked the country and this made our place feel more ‘country like’.  But then a couple of months ago she decided to expand the operation and ordered several hundred chickens to resell. A few chickens are okay, but a few hundred create quite an odor, especially when the coop is right next to our fence and the wind blows in the direction of our back deck. The first batch sold out quickly, but the second batch has not sold as quickly so the smell is still there. We live outside the city limits on lots approximately one-half acre and there aren’t many restrictions.

Hmmm…. what to do? Now that the weather has cooled a little, one of my favorite things to do is to sit outside, but how do I love and forgive when my nose and my ears keep reminding me of what’s going on next door? It’s not easy, but I know that’s what God is calling me to do—love and forgive. In this trying time we are all going through, she’s trying to make some extra money. I remind myself to be thankful that I am not in that situation. It’s not easy. I made the conscience decision to not complain to the sheriff, but instead to pray for my neighbor. I find that when I pray for her, the situation is more tolerable. It’s not always easy, I do fail, but I’m working on it.

 This prayer for the neighbor and for the grace to love and forgive is helping me in other areas of my life. It makes it a little easier to be kind, patient and loving. My 96 year old mother lives with us, and while she is a real sweetheart, there are times that this is challenging. Seems like there is always something that I need to do to help her. I retired about a year ago and envisioned this life where I could come and go as I pleased and do whatever I wanted. Well, we all know that’s not what happens. Jesus came not to be served but to serve. And that’s what we are all supposed to do—serve one another. Actually that is where we find true joy—serving. My mom spent many years taking care of and serving me, even into adulthood. It’s my turn now. When she complains she can’t do anything anymore I tell her it’s okay. Now she’s the “Queen Bee” and it’s my turn to serve her. Again, not always easy and sometimes I fail, but I’m a work in progress. Aren’t we all?

 Have you ever had someone whom you find really hard to love? Someone who does things that drive you crazy? Someone who makes your life uncomfortable? Are you having a hard time with all the unrest and hateful rhetoric that seems to be bubbling up in our country right now? Just remember to  pray. Pray for the grace to be patient, kind, compassionate, humble, loving and forgiving. God is always there and he will never fail you.