On privacy and loving my neighbor

Ya’ll. I’ve talked about privacy before: as in, we have none. And, sometimes it is hard to love my neighbors.

Picture this: It’s Sunday morning and we have a standard routine. We’ll host and do Sunday school activities this evening.  So, in the morning, Daniel and I attempt to practice Sabbath, which is super hard since we have 4 young children and no babysitter.

So, Daniel takes a couple hours to himself to read, pray, listen to a podcast, etc. while I watch the kids. Then, I take a couple hours. We meet together as a family at lunch to pray and take the Lord’s supper.

So… it’s 8:30 am in the morning.  We’ve already been up a few hours. We’ve already eaten breakfast. Daniel has already started his alone time. And, I am attempting a shower while watching our four kids. I step out of the shower and look up from wrapping a towel around me to see our neighbors starring at me from our living room window!

They took it upon themselves to open our window from the outside, pull back our curtains, and stare at me after I had just got out of the shower.

Why? They couldn’t get in my front gate. My gate was locked! “Why would you do that?” they ask?

So, they just solved the problem by opening my window.

Some days, it’s hard to love my neighbor.

The neighbor said, “We need water!”

Well, then.

My neighbor’s well In an instant, I’m thinking of John 4 and living water. Of evangelism and how crossing cultural borders is hard. I’m thinking of moving to a place with a high fence and a big yard. Tomorrow. I’m wondering how much they saw before I looked up from wrapping my towel. I’m thinking of being rich enough to have running water and a water pump in my house and of my neighbor who has a well and a bucket. I’m thinking of loving my neighbors but wishing they would stop opening my windows and just leave me alone for one day a week. I’m thinking of the anger rising within me and my bad attitude. I’m thinking “a cup of cold water in Jesus’ name” needs to happen at more opportune times. Not when I’m in a towel with a neighbor looking through my window.

In frustration, I quickly get dressed, unlock the front gate, turn on the water pump, and let my neighbors in to take our water. And then, I spend the rest of the day questioning what happened.

And, the question I can’t seem to shake: How often do I want to share “living water” without the hassle of the “daily water” my neighbors need?

And, just when I was starting to feel good about my spiritual progress, too.

Some days it’s hard to love my neighbor.