Lessons from the Tree

Dan and I were so excited for this weekend.  We looked forward to great weather and the opportunity to spend a whole Saturday at home.  It is truly a rare treat!

Shortly before our lunch, our neighbor and a guest begin using a chainsaw next door.  We ventured to a nearby window to see what tree was meeting its fate.  It happened to be a tree that was on our side of the property line.  It was quite odd.  I had been hanging out clothes on our line, and as I brought a new set to hang, Dan popped out too.  Our neighbor then was passing by to take equipment for the clean up to the tree.  A passing casual comment was made about the tree, and then Dan asked if it wasn't on our side of the property line.  Our neighbor was less then pleased that he should ask.  She had some not so nice words to say about it and then stormed off.  Later, as I was hanging out another load, the family member who was cutting the tree came by and he was going to bring down the two taller forks and wanted to be sure that girls weren't in the back yard.  Yes, where the tree is laying is our yard, and he didn't want it to fall near the girls and scare them or scrape them.  As he and I talked, our neighbor stormed up and told me not to involve him in "this mess."  He quickly left the scene, and she begin to lay it on me.  Apparently, asking your neighbor where the property line is a very bad thing.  As she told me the trouble I was to our community, the only thing I did wrong was to have a husband that knocked on her door one day to ask about the property line.  I did my best to nice and polite, and finally after Dan just agreed so they would have common interests, she walked away.  The nice gentleman cutting the tree was now not to certain he wanted to cut the tree.  He had mentioned that he thought the line was questionable but the neighbor had assured him it was hers to cut.  Dan and I both could care less if the tree was cut.  We were more concerned by the fact that she felt she could do whatever without a concern to us.  Well, he finally decided to bring down another fork.  This time, the fork kicked out as he sawed and landed awkwardly on his ankle.  Off to the ER he went for xrays.  Our poor neighbor who had made it very clear that she wanted us nowhere near her was left to clean up the remaining tree that was down in our yard.  It tore the girls up.  They took turns offering their help, and each was politely turned down.  Abby asked Dan if God let the tree fall on the man's leg as punishment.  We took some time to explain that there is a right way and wrong way to get things done.  So often, we get set into what we ARE going to do at all cost and never add God's plan into the equation.  We just press right along.  It seems that God puts roadblocks in our paths to help us see our error, but often we just press right on through.  It was a good lesson for our kids on treatment of others who don't treat you kindly even when you have done nothing wrong. The girls couldn't understand why she was so angry and why she said the things she had.  While I don't enjoy being yelled at by an angry neighbor, it is such a small thing in light of the many who have suffered so for following Christ.