The Spirit of the Lord used Scripture to ignite in Gail a new sense of purpose and calling as a widower. Without realizing it, Gail has been teaching me three key lessons regarding what it means to be a Christ-like neighbor. By God’s grace, Gail began to see that the energy, time, and resources he had given to caring for Joan could be redirected to benefiting others. He especially began to pour himself into finding ways to encourage the youth.

We pastor-types should be teachers in Israel on how to love our neighbors as ourselves. However, every now and then the Lord takes me back to remedial school. He puts someone in my life to remind me I have a long way to go. Such is the case with Gail.

Gail is our seventy-six year old neighbor who lives across the street from us. In the five years or so we have lived here in Western Pennsylvania, Gail and his wife Joan became our friends. In late spring, summer, and early fall evenings they could always be found on their front porch, chatting with one another and always ready for someone else to join them for some conversation. Hearing stories of local history, of how Gail grew up in a family of eight without a father, or of his work in the steel mills were standard fare. As Christians, our conversations would often turn to spiritual matters as well.

Gail and Joan have always been neighborly. They would drop off fresh fruits and vegetables they had picked up at the farmer’s market. If he thought an article or book would interest me, it appeared at our doorstep. If he saw me out working in the yard, he would come and lend a hand or a tool or both. When the winter weather came, Gail would often be out snow blowing our driveway before I had gotten to my shovel.

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