seeking a theme....

Thanks, Jill, for being my only reader.
Apparently, this one's for you.(feelin' the love?)

So, I had a VERY interesting conversation this morning with my friend , Dana, about her jewlery party she had last night.
I called her to ask how she did and we ended up talking about all the people who SHOWED UP!.
I mean to say there was 10-15 people there that I, for the most part, knew none of them.
They were her neighbors and co-workers and they came to support their friend.
We talked about how very different they all are and how diverse their backgrounds, and yet, they all like each other, they were obviously enjoying themselves.
It was neat.
Her neighbors, I mean 3-5 families get together on a regular basis to share a meal, to play games, to fix the neighbor's gate, to help a friend build a workbench, to help take down a Christmas tree and decorations, have a surprise bday party.....etc.
They are the very definition of family/community.
They genuinely care for each other and it shows through acts of kindness.
They genuinely like each other and it shows through the time they spend with each other.
I have never seen a neighborhood like that.
For that matter, I've never seen a church like that.
What brings these people together????
What is the common thread that drives the need for community????
It's not that they have so much in common because they really don't.
They are all very different.
I asked Dana if she could identify what was the catalyst that started this phenomenon????
She thinks that it is her next door neighbors, Frank and Pat, that have been very purposeful about reaching out to the neighbors, they have even gone so far as to build a "man-cave" for the men of the neighborhood to come and hangout in.
Get this; there is even a neon OPEN/CLOSE sign out front.
Isn't that great?
They invite the neighbors over all the time to eat, and if you happen to be out in your yard and they see you, they will say "come on over".
It is amazing!
They are people of faith who love the Lord and have been given the gift of friendship to spread to all those around them and, guess what? it has caught on!
I'm sure it has taken some time and effort to build those relationships, but they did it sacrificially and they have been blessed.
Guess what else?
The neighbors they have reached are not Christians, they are their neighbors.
They didn't pick and choose who they would have in their home, they have everybody!
They know one another and they bear one another's burdens.
They are doing it right and I am humbled to my core.
It is not a polite suggestion to love your neighbor, it's a command.
To love we must reach out beyond our comfort zone and sacrificially invest in others.
I'm with you, Jill, It's all about love, the verb, not a feeling.
It started with 2 people who had a passion for loving people, and now it has spread to an entire neighborhood who loves one another.
What made the difference?
They were invested in people and they gave their time sacrificially to others.
They didn't say, "my house isn't clean anough", they said "come in".
They didn't say, "I don't have enough to share", they shared what they had.
They didn't say, " I don't like that person", they got to know them and realized they were people who were hurting and they simply listened.
They loved them like Jesus

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul, your mind, and your strength.
And love your neighbor as yourself."

I'm pretty sure this is my theme, too.