The doorbell rang in the middle of the day. I assumed it was the UPS man, but trod down the stairs anyway to have a look. When I opened the door, a stranger wrapped in a towel over her bathing suit with no shoes on sheepishly said, “I’m sorry to bother you, but we’re renting down the street and we’ve gotten ourselves locked out. Can you help me?”
As if it wasn’t enough to see this poor gal completely embarrassed by her towel-only-wardrobe, she went on to tell me they had been locked out for 2 hours and were currently missing a doctor appointment for their daughter they’d waited six months to get!
She asked to use my internet to check email and see if the rental agency had responded to her request for assistance, (made hours earlier from another neighbor’s house who was now gone to work.) Of course, I obliged. And there it was, an email saying where the hide-a-key was kept. Voila!
I offered to walk down the street with her to be sure they got in, so they’d have a phone handy if they couldn’t find the key. She was thrilled to have that extra assurance, and we chatted amiably as we strolled down the street. Once we secured her way in the rental property, we said our farewells as they rushed to get in touch with the doctor for the appointment they were now missing.
I walked back down the street praying that they would get in to see the doctor for their daughter. How frustrating to wait six months and then have something silly like being locked out prevent them from getting to their appointment!
Unexpected Gratitude
A few days later I opened my front door to find a beautifully handwritten note and sweet bouquet of flowers from the visiting family who was locked out:
In the end, our prayers were answered: they got an appointment later that same day so their six month wait wasn’t in vain! They expressed their sincere gratitude for my help, (which wasn’t more than 10 minutes out of my day) and offered to do anything they could in the future to help me or my family. I was thrilled for the great outcome, and the flowers weren’t bad either.
Lessons Learned in Loving a Neighbor
- 10 minutes can make a world of difference in the life of someone in need.
- A personal, heartfelt thank you note is rare—and it goes a long way. (flowers are an added bonus!)
- When you go the extra distance to love a neighbor you could be the answer to someone’s heartfelt prayer.