Casandra Martin

Did you ever watch Mr. Rogers? He came into our homes through the television, inviting us to walk with him for a time in his magical neighborhood. It was a gentle world where cardigan sweaters and kindness paved the way for friends to get to know one another.

Neighborhoods are special places. They are the places where we live, where we feel at home. Our neighborhoods are our most personal setting. You don’t have to get dressed up to go outside and get the paper or check the mail. This is where you bring in your groceries, throw a ball, and run in from the rain. Neighbors see your coming and going, the trash you put out by the curb, and how often you water your flowers. The pattern of our lives tell a story to those who live closest to us. Neighborhoods pulse with a rhythm that echoes the beating of our hearts.

Because our neighborhoods are home, we often navigate the streets on autopilot. We see without seeing, moving through the familiar by feel rather than with focus. But it is important to stop and really look at your neighborhood. “You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell, for I the Lord dwell in the midst of the people of Israel.” – Numbers 35:34.

God lives in your neighborhood. He dwells on your street. He is present around the corner, down the block, and in your backyard. He resides in the middle of your neighborhood. He abides where you live, and He wants His presence to make a difference in how you live in the place where you most feel at home.

My Jesus Resolution today is look for God in my neighborhood. When I recognize that God lives in the neighborhood, it changes how I see the people around me, the children riding bikes down the street, and the blessings He stacks on my doorstep. When I take out the trash, He is there. When I play, rest, work in the yard, have people over, or sit outside, He is right there with me. He tells me to let honor, purity, and holiness define the address of my heart. He calls me to open my eyes and see how close He really is.