Back when I was a kid, an elderly man used to yell at me and the rest of the neighborhood kids whenever we touched a blade of his grass--sometimes he yelled at us if he thought we were even thinking about it. We'd be walking on the sidewalk in front of his house and he'd storm out onto his porch and yell at us. And if one of us tossed a ball that landed in his yard, we were guaranteed a good tongue-lashing.
I still live in that neighborhood. And in fact, that man is still alive. I didn't see him for a long time, but in the past couple of years, I've seen him sitting on his front porch all alone. I heard that his wife died many years ago and I suspect that he was just too mean to attract many friends, but that's being presumptuous.
A couple of weeks ago I drove by his house and saw him sitting on his front porch. I waved to him and to my surprise, he waved back. I saw him again a few days ago on his front porch and we waved at each other again. I've been thinking about walking over to his house and telling him that if he ever needs anything that he can call me.
I don't know why I've been thinking about him or why I have the sudden urge to reach out to him. I just get the feeling that he could use a little help. While I've been thinking about all of this, my pastor used Leviticus 19:32 as his main text for his sermon last week and it made me think about all of this even more.
Here's what it says: "Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the LORD." (Leviticus 19:32)
Whatever happened to rising in the presence of our elders? I remember seeing it some as a young boy, but I haven't seen it in years. I also haven't done it. And maybe that's where it starts...with me rising up and walking over to the man's house and showing him respect, and ultimately love. I'll keep you posted.
