How closely are you tied to your community? Not meaning just the town you live in but the community of believers that you worship with. Our tendency is to keep a little protective distance between us and most of the rest of humanity. It seems neighbors are not what they used to be. Growing up in rural PA we had some physical distance between us and our neighbors. However, we knew them all. The retired guy with the pristine wood piles, the Polish neighbor with the thick accent, the folks down the road with kids we played with and the farmer up the road with the fruit stand where we caught the school bus. Neighbors do not seem quite so close today. We know some of them yet most keep the moat around their suburban castle intact and the drawbridge protected. Except for the couple next door. Pete and Lynn have been there for many years. A couple of good neighbors and friends. A few years ago Pete passed on. It was July fourth, not a day of celebration that year. This past week his beloved Lynn joined him and my life got a bit emptier.
Pete had a bit of a rough exterior but a generous heart and a rich devotion to Lynn, the only woman he ever loved. I met him on his back deck shortly after we moved in, twenty years ago. I was in my back yard when I heard a loud gunshot. I went next door to check it out and found it was just Pete protecting his garden in an ongoing war with the woodchucks. Their numbers had just dropped by one. Pete hunted, fished, and had his garden protected by a fence and his shotgun. Lynn was cut of a similar mold. I always figured if everything collapsed economically I would follow them into the woods, for they clearly were survivors. Lynn was also a devoted part of our church family. The church parsonage sits next to their house, so they had been privy to a series of pastors who came and went as their ministry changed. We moved in with our five children twenty years ago so Lynn and Pete had first hand experience of watching our children grow and being good and helpful neighbors.
Lynn was special. If Pete had been King Lemuel of Proverbs thirty-one, he would have found a virtuous wife in Lynn. Though she was not perfect, she certainly met the criteria Lemuel's mom laid out for him. Pete could trust Lynn in everything for she always did him good. She sewed, rose early, took care of her household, and worked with her hands. She was a great shopper and prepared great meals. She could make a dollar go a long way and still fill her kitchen with delightful and savory smells. She loved plants and simple things in life. She was strong of body and of will. She spoke of wisdom mixed with kindness, She was blessed by the sons she so deeply loved and was a blessing to them, and to their children and their children's children. Her husband. Pete, was honored by her life, she was generous and above all, loved the Lord and His people.
She was not Wonder Woman, then again, maybe she was. At least she had the Wonder Woman pose down to a science. She loved the "Star Wars" movies and was always ready to critique the latest film. She supported my kids as they took mission trips and progressed in their musical endeavors. She was simply fun to be around. And she always sent me borderline insulting Birthday cards. They were always fun as well. She respected me as her Pastor and treated me like a friend. She was more than special, she was more than just a neighbor. She was a dear sister in the Lord. It is difficult to say good bye.
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