I've been living at my current residence for over 3 yrs now.  Now that I'm getting ready to move soon, I'm ashamed to say that I barely got to know my neighbors.  Granted I was a bit busy.  But a part of me didn't really want to get to know them that much.  I remember my first day when I moved here, one of my neighbors got really upset b/c our visitor parked in their assigned parking spot.  She was so mean about it and that was my first impression of her.  So for 2 yrs, we just coexisted & I never went out of my way to strike conversations w/her.  It wasn't until YM's last days when she went out of her way to talk to me to express her concerns.  Out of all my townhouse neighbors, she was probably the most caring & sympathetic.  On Christmas day, she came over to me to tell me that her prayers are with me.  She told me that 6 yrs ago, her teenage daughter died in a car accident.  And ever since then, it's been hard for her to celebrate holidays.  And suddenly I realized why she appeared like just a bitter woman.  She's had some tough battles in her life, experiencing loss and now a broken relationship w/her husband.  Now I can see that behind her grumpiness is a sad and lonely woman.  As I've been talking to her more often, I'm discovering that she's actually really sweet.  The other day, she knocked on my door to ask me if I wanted some bagels and danishes.  She bought them for a guest who didn't show up & she didn't want them to go to waste. I can tell from the way she smiles at my kids that she has a very tender spot in her heart. 

I'm beginning to learn that people are not what they appear to be.  I wonder how differently we would all treat each other if we learned alittle more of people's history.  I'm guilty of judging others and dismissing them from what they seem to be on the outside.  But in the end, we're all the same broken people who need Jesus. 

I liked the way an elder at our church recently described people.   There are only 3 kinds of people in this world:  Those who are about to go into a trial, those who are in it, and those who are coming out of it.  "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." ~James 1:2-4

Today me & the kids went to visit the cemetery to honor YM's 38th birthday.  It's hard celebrating birthdays of the deceased.  It's supposed to be a joyous event to celebrate someone's birth, but how do you celebrate it when they are taken from this life on earth?  All I can do is say a prayer thanking the Lord that 38 yrs ago, he brought YM to this earth for a purpose.  And even though he may not be here physically to blow out candles, eat cake, & be merry, God can continually do his work to further His kingdom through the memory of YM.  So with that heart, I send birthday wishes to heaven.