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Loving your neighbor can be hard
We moved into the neighborhood we are in about 3 years ago. This was a move back home to Southern California from Georgia (I do miss Georgia sometimes, but that is another post). We love our neighborhood. In some ways it feels like a throwback to the old days. Everyone says hello to one another and there are a group of kids who play together on our street and in each others yards. We are so grateful for this blessing.

There is this one neighbor. They lives behind us, and they have a pool. They can be quite loud, especially when they have large groups of people over. The owner is a protestant minister, and there were times when they would practice with what I presume was their youth choir (keyboard, drums, awful lead singer)untill late into the night on a Saturday - it was like a garage band (but not as good). And I think he has their youth group over frequently for get-togethers at their pool. My other neighbors thanked me when I went to the fence and asked that they keep it down. No one else had got up the gumption to say anything. But such reprieves have only a short term impact.

I have wanted to talk to him about how we are supposed to love our neighbors and would he help me out, because he makes it hard. I suspect that doing that would go against the whole concept. So we pray for them, and don't use our back yard when they are having a get-together. Sometimes I (nicely) ask that they keep it down. I do wish loving my neighbor would be easier. Maybe this has to do with my asking God for more patience....

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4 Comments:

I understand what you're feeling! We used to have some loud, partying neighbors - there were a bunch of kids that lived at this house and they were always having company, AND they played in a *screamo* garage band - not exactly my type of music. I'm not the kind of person that will go and ask people to keep it down - but I will walk around mumbling and complaining to my family. Over the years, that house quieted down - I guess the teens grew up and moved out. We never really got to know them. I guess you can offer it up, and just think - you'll grow tremendously in patience! LOL!

Rob, do you have a local 'community comittee?' where you can all get together with a representative from each family and discuss concerns?

If you have a great summer in 2008 and this man invites people over to the pool for most of it, how fair is that for your family to be deprived of using your own garden?

It really shouldn't come down to just one person to make a complaint, because then it looks like you are the bad guy when in fact, you're acting on behalf of your fellow neighbours too in a way!

Thanks, Blondie. I wish there were easy ways to learn patience - but they all seem to be irritatingly slow. :)

Deb, I wish we had a committee or association. We do not. In fact the back of my property is a county border, so we aren't technically in the same county. It can be frustrating to not have the area, but I'm not sure there is much to do.

You may be correct Rob...God does still answer our prayers...next time, try being a little more specific... ;) kidding

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