A Host Of Good Neighbors

A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

LINDSEY’S PHONE CHIMED with a text message from her next-door neighbor:

Our yard is being sprayed today.

She sent a thumbs-up emoji.

“Well, Bea, no front yard time for you today. But that’s fine. We have lots to do inside anyway.”

Lindsey’s cat meowed softly, then pawed at her favorite toy. While Beatrice played, Lindsey went back to work.

An hour later Lindsey’s phone chimed with a text message from another neighbor.

Spotted a hawk while walking Max.

Thanks! Lindsey texted back.

“I wonder if any other kitties have their own neighborhood watch patrol,” she called out to Beatrice, who was sprawled out in the middle of the floor, sleeping with her head on her toy.

It touched Lindsey’s heart deeply to know how much her neighbors cared about her little cat. With very few fences in the neighborhood, Lindsey often found herself chatting with neighbors while she worked in her garden, when she went to get the mail, and when she sat outside with Beatrice, who loved watching birds, observing squirrels, and befriending bunnies. A gentle soul by nature, Bea never tried to harm any of the visitors to her backyard. She hadn’t even tried to chase the mouse that made its way into their house a few months earlier.

Lindsey loved her cat’s tender nature, and so did the neighbors who met her.

“Your cat is so sweet,” the neighbor across the street commented.

“I just love when Bea comes over to say hello to me,” her next-door neighbor often said, beaming.

“I wish I had a cat like Bea,” a young neighbor a few houses away frequently sighed.

When pandemic restrictions kept Lindsey and most of her neighbors at home for several months, Beatrice’s popularity rose even higher. Her visits became the highlight of her neighbors’ days. And many of them began looking out for Bea—texting Lindsey when their lawns were being treated with chemicals so Bea wouldn’t get sick; alerting Lindsey to hawks, coyote sightings, and loose dogs; and sending her news articles about cat food recalls.

At one time, Lindsey would have described Beatrice as shy and timid around other people, but not any longer. She blossomed during the pandemic—soaking in the attention and affection of her neighbors, bravely interacting with the dogs next door, and politely demanding that Lindsey include her in business Zoom meetings so she could say hello to Lindsey’s coworkers.

Each day brought a new adventure, and every time Lindsey would watch her companion make a new friend or coax a smile from a weary face, she would thank God for her little cat—who had no opinions on the latest controversy storming through social media, but who simply offered her friendly presence to others. And whose name her neighbors had learned.

“It’s been a really hard year for most of us,” Lindsey told Beatrice while fixing her dinner one night, “but you have made it a little bit better for a bunch of people. Good job, Bea.”

PAWS & PONDER . . .

In what ways is a good name better than riches? How does someone earn a good name? Who do you think of when you read Proverbs 22:1? Why did you think of them? What do you hope people think about you when they hear your name?

Paws & Pray

God, your name is holy, above all other names. Your name is worthy of worship and praise. Help me to remember your name as I interact with those around me. Teach me to pursue integrity, faithfulness, and humility as I strive to be an ambassador who shares you with others.