The Neighbor

What if she hadn’t baked a pie and given it to her neighbor?

Years ago, a lady was in a church service, and she felt the Lord speak to her to give her neighbor a chocolate pie and write a note telling her that she loved her.

This neighbor was the scourge of the neighborhood. She was mean and hateful and didn’t like anybody or anything.

The lady couldn’t believe what God was asking of her. How could He even think that a neighbor like that would deserve a chocolate pie — it was almost as if she was rewarding her neighbor for all the nastiness she had caused. Everyone on their street avoided her.

She came home from the service and baked the pie. Afterward, she was tired, so she went to bed.

That morning, she slept in and was late for work. Again, she was reminded of the task the Lord had asked of her when she noticed the pie on the countertop.

She thought, “I’m running late. I’ll give it to her tonight.”

She heard the Lord speak to her. “No, go give it to her now.”

She sighed and grudgingly packed the pie, then wrapped it in brown paper with a note saying, I hope you like chocolate pie. I love you. Then she signed it.

She went to her neighbor’s house and knocked on the door, but no one answered. She left the paper package on the front porch.

She thought about it all day long. She was upset that someone so nasty was enjoying one of her best desserts.

She went home that evening, and her neighbor was on her front porch. She got out of her car slowly and was gearing up for the argument that would ensue.

As she approached the porch, she saw her neighbor crying. The neighbor got up and asked if she could hug her.

Surprised and instantly deflated, she hugged her. Her neighbor thanked her for her sweet gift and the note that morning.

She said that she hadn’t been home that morning because she had gone to the store and bought a bottle of alcohol. Her personal life had been a wreck for years. She said she couldn’t remember the last time anybody told her they loved her.

She was ready to end it all. She didn’t say what the mixture was, but she had a bottle of pills to ingest and plenty of alcohol to drink. Then she was going to go to sleep and never wake up again.

But when she got back from the store, a brown paper package with a chocolate pie, a note, and a massive amount of hope sat on the porch.

And in addition to someone saying they loved her, chocolate pie was her favorite dessert.

She chose life instead of the alternative.

All because someone chose to obey God and love their neighbor.

to those with neighbors,
– Caleb