When A Name Becomes a Story
We were having a BBQ at a park in my neighborhood and I saw a woman walk by with her dog. He looked a lot like my dog so I asked her about him. He was a Brittany Spaniel, a cousin breed to my Springer Spaniel. We chatted for a few minutes. She mentioned how she too enjoyed BBQs and how Cash, her dog, was always looking for more friends.
It seemed as though she may be looking for some more friends as well.
She began to walk away, but I felt a feeling that has become familiar to me. It’s almost like God taps me on the shoulder and whispers in my ear. I know that the way God speaks to us is different for each person, but that is one way I would describe it.
I felt the nudge to run after Janice as she was walking away. I got her cell number and we set up a time to walk our dogs together.
It’s always a little nerve wracking to approach a stranger in that way. But I’m glad I did!
With in a few minutes of our walk, Janice moved from merely a name of a neighbor to a story.
She shared about getting a Parkinson’s diagnosis 8 years ago. How she lost her job at Kemps because of it and now is in a battle to claim her disability insurance. Her story went deeper as she told me of the nights she almost took her life and the ability to see hope she has just recently experienced through her therapist. She shared that she now fears losing her marriage because all the stress for the last few years has taken it’s toll on her relationship.
In my life, Janice had now moved from a name to a story.
I got to pray for her and she texted me this morning to pray for a doctors appointment she has tomorrow.
2000 years ago Jesus said these now famous words…
“Love your neighbor as yourself.”
To love someone, we need to know them.
To know someone, we need to hear their story.
Of course we won’t hear EVERY neighbor’s story, but we can start with those who God invites you to step towards. Perhaps God taps you on the shoulder or nudges your heart, or some other way you feel like God speaks to you!
(Maybe this is a good time to look intentionally for just how God does that in your life.)
I am encouraging everyone to take up a summer challenge called The Neighborhood Crawl!
Dozens of you have said you are IN! Will more of you join us?
It’s just 8 simple steps that will help us connect intentionally with our neighbors and our neighborhood.
Last week was Step One – Meet just one new neighbor and get their name.
This week is Step Two – Hear the story of at least one neighbor.
For a neighbor to move from a name to a story, here are three general places to start a conversation:
1. Ask about their story
Tell me about how you came to live here.
Tell me about your life.
Tell me about how you became a teacher/accountant/postal worker etc
2. Ask about something important to them
I’ve noticed you like to garden.
Tell me about your kids.
Do you have family in the area?
3. Bring up something you have in common
I have a dog too! What’s your dog’s name?
What school do your kids go to? Ours are at Waite Park.
Cool Twins hat, are you a fan too?
Then our neighbors will go from names to stories and we can begin to foster relationships of trust, built on understanding and trust.
Can you imagine if each of us did this how many stories would be heard this week?
Download this Neighborhood Crawl Map to guide you through this experiment this summer!