Praying for an Empty House
The house next door to Brooke and Justin was like a revolving door of new neighbors. Over a five-year span a stream of people rented the house, then just as quickly would disappear and move out. With each new neighbor came the excitement of getting to know them, but that was quickly followed by the letdown of a quick departure.
Then a couple moved in and stayed. Brooke and Justin began to pray for them and looked for an opportunity to connect. But this new couple wasn’t interested. They would come home from work and drive into the garage. They wouldn’t be seen again until the next morning when the garage door opened and they drove away. An occasional “How are you?” followed by “I’m fine” was as far as the relationship ever got. Then that couple moved, too.
Brooke and Justin were frustrated but they prayed, “God, you know this house is vacant again. Please give us some neighbors we can love and do life with.”
Another young couple, Lauren and Quentin, moved in. Brooke and Justin went next door and welcomed them to the neighborhood, intentionally using the practices of B.LE.S.S. The next week they invited their new neighbors over for a cookout. That meal included a long conversation about jobs, favorite sports teams, and restaurant recommendations. It was a great time.
When Brooke found out their new friends had not yet bought a lawn mower, she “encouraged” Justin to mow their yard when he mowed their own. He continued to do so every week without being asked. It was hard for their new neighbors not to notice that their grass was magically shorter every weekend!
Finally, Lauren asked Brooke, “Tell me. Why are you so different? Why do you seem to always go out of your way to help us out?” Brooke began to share some of her story about Jesus.
Not much later, Lauren came over and said, “I wanted to update you on something.”
“Yeah, what’s that?” said Brooke.
“Quentin and I decided to stop renting and buy our house. I wanted you to know the biggest reason we bought it was because of the neighbors. Thanks!”
Several weeks later, Quentin crossed the lawn and told Justin, “I just got news that my uncle died suddenly. I'm having some really deep questions about God and what happens after you die. I know you have faith. Could we talk?” The two of them sat down in the front yard for a couple hours, and there, Justin led Quentin to Christ. The following Sunday he baptized him, with Brooke and Lauren in church along with them.
Brooke would tell you, “It all started with us praying for that empty house; asking God to give us neighbors we could love. Now they are some of our very best friends.”