This is not about our garden.

This is about the neighborhood our garden is in.

Late Saturday night we stopped by our garden to water it if needed. The park was busy with kids and families, lots of noise and yelling and BBQing. I then witnessed something and was caught so off guard I didn't do anything to stop it. Partially from shock but also for fear. When I woke up from my daze Josh and the kids were there and I told him about what I saw and he was ready to act next sign of trouble to break things up. I was still in shock.

Things got worse and someone else got hurt and then the cops were called. I was still in shock. Partially by what I saw but also by what I failed to do the first time. I can think of a lot of what-if's for the situation but I can't go back and change the past, now I have to look forward to the future. What can I do now?

On Sunday, I spent the afternoon in prayer. I went back to the site of the scene and just sat. I prayed and prayed and prayed.

Every day we have gone to our garden I have prayed for the people we run into and pray that we can be a blessing to them and love them, help them in some way, and if given the opportunity, continue a relationship or share Christ's love with them. I have also prayed for any kids or families that that I see as we drive down the street that leads to our garden, praying for them and maybe we can meet them at the park and love them in some way.

Now, my heart cries to do more. I don't live there. I don't know them or the situations. There is so much I don't understand. I don't fit in. I have a few ideas and am praying for God to give some more clear leading here. But most importantly, I am now praying specifically that we can run into the people effected by the Saturday night scene. While I do not know what they need, I know God does and He loves them more than I do.

So when you read about our garden, please pray for the neighborhood. The anger stirred up on Saturday night could cause greater anger among some families. I know things like this happen all over the country (and maybe even have been happening in this neighborhood for years and years), this just happens to be the one in our little realm right now. While I am praying for mine, I will pray for yours.