“Invest in your neighbors for the long haul, the hundreds of conversations that make up a neighborhood, and stop thinking of conversations with neighbors as sneaky evangelistic raids into their sinful lives.”
~Rosaria Butterfield
Summer is a time when we inherently recognize a shift in daily life:
The days are longer and people are outside after dinner long into the evening—walks, kids playing, taking the dog out, and many other activities.
Kids are free from school and looking for more activities, more playtime, and more hanging out with friends.
Some people may be happier because of the sun and the weather and linger longer on the sidewalk–checking the flowers, and getting the mail.
What if we added a little bit of ‘gospel-intentionality’ to the transition to summer and recognized more opportunities to build relationships with neighbors and friends?
Intentional Item #1: Think Intentionally About The Summer & Gospel Opportunities
Like Rosaria’s quote above–not a sneak attack, like “boy, you think the weather’s nice today, wait until you see it in heaven.” No! But thinking about the fact that summer creates opportunities:
-Have slightly longer conversations outside and ask a little bit more about your neighbors’ lives
-Have a couple of new kids over to play with your kids in the yard
-Stop on a walk and compliment neighbors on their flowers or house
-Pet the neighborhood dogs and strike up a conversation about life
What else would you add to this list?
Let’s keep these posts to the point for a few weeks this summer and consider what it would be like to have a little more gospel intentionality this summer.