Kathy the Great

Remember the saying:  you can't pick your neighbors.  Well, I am so thankful for my neighbor, Kathy.  It was a difficult time when I first moved in but upon accepting Christ into my heart again in 1998, I realized what I had to do.  Lev 19:18 says  "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD."

I hated living next to them and not being able to get along.  I had no issues with Kathy but our households got off track.  So I started saying hi to Jerry, trying to mend and humble myself, and eventually, it turned around with God's blessings. 

I LOVE my neighbors.  Kathy is an amazing woman who catalogs her plants on 3x5 cards, annotating when she bought them, where she planted them, when she divided them and where that divided plant went.  So organized.  She'd come into my yard and ask what a plant was and I'd say:  that one plant.  You didn't catalog it, did you?  No, mommy I didn't.

She knows the American, Latin and common names for her plants.  Knows which ones are wild flowers and which ones are WEEDS. 

You can ask her ANYTHING,  and she knows it.  Maybe I'm thinking because she has homeschooled 6 kids.  Now that in itself is amazing. 

When I hurt myself in the back yard, she heard me cry out in pain and she and Jimmy came running to my aid.  She looks after me and my health. 

When the mower died in the back yard, she was there to help cover it, secure it and bless it until Martin got home.

When the economy needs supporting, she and I go and eat at restaurants, closing them down as we spend hours talking and just loving the relationship we have.

After class is over in the afternoon, we usually meet in the back yard and walk mine and then hers, sometimes taking 2-3 hours to do so. 

When in need of medical attention, I trust her more than the local ER.

She knows my health, the kids, their lives, my husband, my faith, and my heart.

As an individual, I have suffered different forms of abuse and as a result, have been left with an unnerving fear.  Last night, I heard a loud boom, as if someone was entering through the door in the basement.  Immediately, the old fear kicked in and I grabbed the largest knife I had.  I was immobilized by fear and the past.  I tried calling her and left a message.  Until she returned my call, Mitzee and I didn't leave the family room.

At 10 something, she calls and I explain.  She gives me an explanation, detailing the noise to the ninth degree, repeats and I am calmed and at ease.  She is amazing!!!!!!!!!!!

If you ever want a great neighbor, you can't have mine.  I don't know what I'm going to do when we ever leave this home.  Maybe I'll just pack her along.

I know she thinks I'm crazy when I tell her I love her, but Kathy, I really do love you.  You are my neighbor, sister in Christ, and a truly awesome person.

Love
Barb