The Porch

I guess there’s something important about the front porch. We’re here in the 05 (our ZIP code is 40505, and me and some of the folks at the Rock refer to our turf as “The Oh-5”), and I have been looking for opportunities to meet the neighbors. This evening, I sat on the front porch, reading some Scripture. The warm breeze gave me some relief from the sweating I was doing, I suppose as some mild fever broke. I read a bit and then the woman from across the street came by and out of nowhere starts telling me about some problems she is having with her kids. A bit later, I see an elderly lady struggling to get some tree limbs to the curb. I help her a little bit and we get to talk. Then a couple walk by and we get to introduce ourselves. All because of the front porch.

I don’t half doubt that reading Scripture on the porch helped a bit, too.

Since I wrote this a few weeks ago, more has happened on the front porch. My neighbor across the street talks to me pretty much everyday, and has been getting up the nerve to come to church. The neighbor on my left is a believer, but limited in attendance by illness, so maybe he will come to church at my house on Thursday nights.

The neighbor to the right is a phenomenal musician, who likes to sit on his porch and listen to me try to learn to play banjo. His brother has come by a time or two, inviting me to his club, “TD’s” on Second and Elm. Of course, Butch goes there and knows TD and his brother (my neighbor). They play R&B. When they asked what I do for a living and I said I am a pastor, they were quick to say, “We play Gospel, too! We play Gospel, too!” I guess they felt weird asking a pastor to a blues club. Why? That says more about pastors than it does about blues clubs.

Thursday nights, we’ll be having dinner at my house for the people in our little neighborhood. It’s amazing the “colony” we have over here: me, Steffi, and the boys; Don, Laura, Ashley, and Jordan; Kim and Andy; Maggie, Rebecca, Sara, Chelsea.

It’s not simply being in Lexington that has made the difference. It is being right here in the community. It has been having the boys in the school across the street from the school. They make relationships with their classmates… it’s amazing to watch them, their joy at thinking they can tell people about Jesus in school. I wonder what that means to them? I don’t think they ever say anything. I think they just play and be friends. There’s a lesson there….