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Our neighborhood.
Anything but ordinary.
Filled with rocks, dirt, grass, hay bales and sand.
Acres wide.
Bordered with barbed wire.
Shared with cows.
No traffic.
No play structures.
No sandbox.
No sidewalks.
No other kids.
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Yesterday my boys played in a neighborhood.
A neighborhood filled with kids.
A neighborhood with paved places to ride bikes and scooters.
A neighborhood with traffic.
A place with parents calling out to their kids, and friends sharing their lives.
Playing with something besides dirt and cows …
I’m pretty sure it was about 45 minutes of an out-of-body experience for them.
And as I pulled away from the {fun} … I couldn’t help but wonder if my boys would ever wish for a {neighborhood}.
A place where you can run over to your friends house in a matter of seconds, not miles.
A place where houses, cars and people are everywhere you look, not fields, cows, and fence.
A place where toys are shared and relationships are made feet away from your front door.
And then I come home, turn on the computer, pull up a few pictures I took last month and say to myself … {nah! … I think they’re just fine}.
Watching storms roll over the hills, digging holes, climbing under barbed wire, and learning to ride a bike on dirt and gravel.
Those things are going to make Mason and Mack who they’re supposed to be.
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Sometimes it’s good to step outside of your life and experience something else for a minute or two.
Sometimes you wish for the life you see others living.
Sometimes you can't help but compare what you {know} to what you think you'd like to {know}.
And for those of you who find yourself marveling at what we have … come visit for a day … and then go home.
Home will look brighter than ever before.
Not perfect, but definitely where you’re supposed to be.
God knows what you need.
He knows where you’re supposed to be.
And He does ordinary things to remind you.
Like giving you an hour at a place that is {perfect} in almost every way ... and then reminding you how {perfect} the life He's given you is as soon as you pull in your driveway.
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Take time to experience life outside of your own.
Enjoy it to the fullest.
And then remember to praise Him for what he has given you.
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P.S.
Come visit our neighborhood - anytime - day or night … just look for the signs {blowing dust next 40 miles} and the barbed wire fences filled with tumble weeds.
You'll know you're there.
9 comments:
so true. i do at time envy what you have and where you live. but then i come back to the reality of the situation. home is where the heart is. and mine just happens to be in town. town, where i can drive to drop off and pick up my kids in like 1 minute. where there is an awesome neighbor named julie who thank goodness has a stocked pantry for those times when i don't have what i need. or a yard that looks like heaven on earth and lets me wander thru it to capture it's beauty. and i agree there are times i wish i had no neighbors with barking dogs, yelling, arguing kids, kids laughing and playing, saying hello at the mailbox, waving to your neighbor.. i agree- we are where we are supposed to be, and i my friend am supposed to be right here, in town, living on a wonderful dead end, well kept, awesome street. thanks for the reminder. {wow, this surely is one long comment} :) happy windy thursday to you!
love this post! isn't it funny how sometimes we don't even know what we want? Good thing it really is in God's hands.
we used to live on an acreage and sold it to move in town. people thought we were crazy. but it was right! now we live right near the river, the bike trail, the school, etc. it is a great life! with a farm field out the back door! perfect.
I think your neighborhood is exactly what the Murdock family needs. I know I would never change mine either...
I would love to live in your neighborhood and I think my daughter would too...but my boys are not so sure, they'd have mixed feelings. Can't wait to visit though.
Great thoughts in this post :D So smiling at those boys of yours...Mack is growing way.too.fast!!! And, I truly wish you were my next door neighbor :D Sweet blessings!
They grew up like I did and I loved it. Nearest neighbor girl was a five mile bike ride away. The fresh air is a blessing for children! And I love the green machine, that's better than any neighbor kid!
So well put ...... grow wherever it is you're planted!
LOVE the pictures of Mack ..... such determination on his face :-D
You are a wise woman Mrs. Murdock:) Hoping to spend some time in that neighborhood of yours in the upcoming weeks :)
Love where you are! Exactly where God wants you!
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