Moving Mountains Between Neighbors

Moving Mountains Between Neighbors

“The mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,” says the LORD, who has mercy on you. Isaiah 54:10

When we moved to Middle Tennessee from West Tennessee, it took a while to adjust to the new terrain. We were now surrounded by mountains and hills, and for the first time, our next-door neighbors were not just a wave away. The hills and hollows that separated us physically also seemed to separate us spiritually and emotionally.

That sense of separateness was fueled by a question that came up from time to time. “You’re not from around here, are you?” the locals would ask. The rural community we’d moved to was similar to the one I grew up in. It was a place where most folks were kin or married to kin. We were neither.

I believe that the famous feud between the Hatfields and McCoys persisted because neither side was familiar with the other. If familiarity breeds contempt, lack of familiarity can give rise to even greater alienation. Anytime people feel isolated or separated, their default emotion seems to be suspicion.

Fortunately, that sense of alienation didn’t last long after our move. Day by day, we met our neighbors, and God broke down the barriers that separated us from our new community. His loving grace began to smooth out our differences, and trust began to spring forth, flowing like the mighty Cumberland River that sustains life in the region.

God led us to this rural area, and he was the one who knocked down the mountains to allow his healing touch to bring life and health to our new home.

TODAY’S RX

If you’re isolated or alone, trust that God can move mountains. His covenant of blessing will never be broken.

Father, show me how I may reach out to the lonely and build friendships with those who are different from me. Whether it’s visiting those in a nursing home or simply getting to know my neighbors, please place that desire on my heart and lead the way.