Love Thy Neighbor

I have been thinking about what to write this week. I decided to talk about "loving thy neighbor" and what this means to me. I have been doing a bunch of research, and here are my thoughts: Does "love thy neighbor" mean we are to love those living next to our home or in the neighborhood? The answer is yes; it also means to love your family, friends, community members, church members, coworkers, and beyond. At times, this can be challenging, given the way our world is today.

The hardest part about this is: to love one another, we need to be willing to accept that we do not always get love in return. There have been many times I reached out to someone to ask how they are doing or to see if I can do anything for them. Although I do not expect anything in return, I am surprised by the amount of people who do not reach out to me. Does this mean I am being selfish without realizing it? Possibly; more likely than not, people are busy with day-to-day life, or they are preoccupied with something and may not want to talk about it.

I taught my girls to always be kind and help those in need. You never know when you're going to make a difference in someone's life. That extends to people in public who may only need a smile, which could make their day better. If you're able to give some of your time, learn a little about someone sitting on a bench or even a sidewalk; if you can buy someone a meal, ask them if they're hungry. If they need more and you can help in a safe manner, do it. One thing I have learned over the years is that you never know when you'll be on the other end.

“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” 

Matthew 22:39