Love Thy Neighbor

By Ty Salvant

How well do you love your neighbor? Are you willing to miss an important event for the good of others?

For the past 8 years, our family has been enjoying Endymion with a friend who lives near the parade route. If you haven’t experienced a parade from that vantage point, it should be on your bucket list.

One year, we missed because we took a Mardi Gras vacation to Washington, D.C., and although we had a great time, initially the kids were disappointed when they realized the vacation was Mardi Gras weekend.

Last year, our youngest Synclair was about 6 weeks old and we contemplated not going. But, because we could hang out at the house, we opted to attend.

A few days before the parade, the host called the guests to inform us that she had the flu. As much as she was looking forward to her annual gathering, she had decisions to make. So, did I.

She chose to have the house professionally deep-cleaned the day before and self-quarantined for the next 24 hours to eliminate the chance of infecting her guests. While it was a tough call, she opted to sacrifice her desires for the good of her friends and family.

Even though her decision was made, I still had a decision to make. Would we all stay home as a family, not go to her house, all go or split up? While I wasn’t looking forward to spending the day alone, I also opted to place the needs of the baby and desires of my family first. So, I stayed home with Synclair while my husband and kids enjoyed the parade and my friend’s party.

Rebecca and I also enjoyed a great catch up phone conversation that afternoon while Synclair napped.

That situation reminds me a little of decisions we are called to make now. Are you loving your neighbor as yourself?