Love Your Neighbors

I took up running again in January. Long distance running, which for me is anything over 200 meters and has been a thing I have tried to stay away from...I used to love to sprint when I was young..er...*smile*(I am only 39 you know). But now I am embracing the discipline of truly running. It is quite the addiction once you get past the painful stage, and the wonderful endorphins kick in. I live in a rural neighborhood and so I have great choices of running routes to choose from, on dirt roads free from traffic and other then having to dodge pot holes, face-off with the occasional loose guard dog, and pause for sheep crossing, it is very peaceful with pleasant scenery.
We have lived in this area for 3 years now and you know that everyone has seen the Americans that live in the neighborhood (we are those people that wave and smile as we go by) and if they haven't I think they have now. It is hard to hide while wearing a Dr. Pepper baseball cap and a Michigan Wolverines hoodie. I stopped trying to blend in years ago... the accent, clothes, maybe my features and the fact that I don't have the gift of walking with a "runway-model" sashay, (like so many of the beautiful Russian ladies) give away that I am a foreigner.

We pray for our neighbors and not long ago in prayer time with the kids we asked for more opportunities to share God's love with them. Alas, not three days later one of our neighbors, Sergei, wandered over looking for help to lift some heavy things that his wife was unable to help him lift. He had been searching for a while and couldn't find anyone,and was obviously distraught by his predicament. Pointing to a house close by he said, "the man that lives there is not a good person!" (There is a prejudice among many Russians against Armenians and Sergei is Armenian). I think we were his last hope...not sure about those Americans? So, after chatting about what state we were from and the weather, I offered him the best I had and since Mark was gone that was my oldest son, Noah. Sergei was thankful and as he left he said, "People should be good, thank you for being good, I wish you goodness and happiness!" Noah came back 1 hour later with a bounce in his step and a bag full of cherries in his hand.

Sharing Jesus is more than words it is a radiant presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives,and just like I can't hide the fact that I am a foreigner, with my red Dr. Pepper cap, so it is for the christian "alien"...we are (hopefully) obviously different than the world around us and others feel it, see it, want to know it.

I noticed a lady on several of my runs, taking walks on my route, I am almost sure that she did this on purpose and so when our paths finally crossed I stopped to greet her. Lena, from, Samara, with 2 small children. I now pray for her by name as I run by her house and hope for more opportunities for my family and I to share the love of Jesus with her and all my neighbors.