Being a Good Neighbor

I am less than motivated at times. Indeed, I have been known to take the path of least resistance. Does that make me like water, flowing down, down, down that path of gravity until it hits an obstacle? Ideally, as water continues to flow, once it hits the obstacle, it either veers off course, creating a new path, or builds up into a pool. And what does that pool create? Well, I suppose that pool can create tranquility, or stagnance or maybe an opportunity for life to flourish. Or it could build and build until it overflows, possibly bursting the dam and causing destruction at some point downstream.

Sometimes that is what my lack of motivation does. I put something off I intended to do, then it gets added to a pile of other things I intended to do. At some point, the overwhelm can overtake that poorly created dam wall, causing a flood of stress, emotions or whatever else bursts out in the process.

That happened the other day. My neighbor had had enough. I was not a good neighbor.

Sometimes we push the limit of people’s goodness until the proverbial dam bursts, which can be quite harmful depending on the individuals involved and their capacity for self-control. We don’t want people to hate the fact that we live by them. It says in Proverbs 3:29, “Do not devise evil against your neighbor, for he dwells by you for safety’s sake.”

The sheep were not my friends that day, nor have they been on previous days. I put all my hope in them acting right and representing me well. When given the chance, they did not. Sheep will be sheep. They look over the fence, lust for the greenness beyond and stretch the limits of the fences.

Sheep hair on barbed wire from wayward wandering sheep.

When we moved to this property, we inherited some pretty decent fencing and cross fencing on most of our acreage. Part of the problem with fencing and animals who love to roam is getting your bluff in on them. For a time, my sheep were just scared and tended to just stay inside our largest, barbed-wire field, mostly grazing happily on the grass we had. Then, one lone wanderer started checking things out in the neighbor’s field. Then that wretched ewe talked a few of her gal friends into coming along. Some did. But several stayed behind, especially because the ram, the king of the flock, was fearful of crossing.

As we had a new batch of lambs this year, the cycle started over. New characters, new levels of fear. But those old wandering ewes and their lust for the neighbor’s field just led to bad character throughout. Indeed, bad company corrupts good character. Oh, and then you throw in my busyness, other distractions of life and just plain ole procrastination and it’s not a good combination.

Then one day, the ram, who has been coming into his prime, decided to cross the fence in his giddiness. That wretched rascal and previous king of fearfulness and anxiety had decided he wasn’t sticking around here any longer. That’s all it took for the rest to join in, follow suite and wander the county.

Then the call came. All of my grand intentions to build a fence, though no sign of it yet, didn’t matter to my neighbor. He had indeed had his fill of my sheep wandering his field. They had become wandering nomads, going farther and farther with each expedition. After a brief conversation, he asked me kindly to bring my sheep home. I complied, shamefully.

Now, with winter just around the corner, the sheep have limited access to just a smidgen of the grass they could have had if they’d stayed put. Before long, I’ll be toting hay out to them. They will turn their nose at first as they determine the value of munching on dried stalks versus that fine, rolled-up grass prepared for them from earlier in the year. Eventually, hunger will make that hay taste pretty darn good to ‘em.

Indeed, we have been blessed with good neighbors. But we have to be careful not to wear out our welcome or overextend our stay. Proverbs 25:17 says, “Seldom set foot in your neighbor’s house, lest he become weary of you and hate you.” And when your sheep have gone astray, like they tend to do, we have to ensure that we take action. We need to not only mend the physical fences between us and our neighbors, but the relational ones as well.

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” Psalm 133:1

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