Dallas County Living Well Magazine November/December 2018 | Page 19

He was able to empathize with our weaknesses because
He lived among us and suffered as one of us.
I don’t live in poverty. However, my crazy neighborhood
certainly could be a TV series. It was one of the first obser-
vations I made after meeting everyone. We have a neigh-
bor who is always informed. Don’t think you’ll get anything
past her because she knows every car, each person coming
and going and has a better grasp on my calendar than I
do. We have a self-appointed wine connoisseur, lovingly
referred to as Gregg with 2 g’s, because there’s another
Greg with one. We have Marty the girl, a social-butterfly
with a love for antiques, (not to be confused with another
neighbor, Marty the boy). Then there’s naked Doug. Ap-
parently, he’s been known to hot tub in the buff, thankfully
I don’t have any first-hand knowledge of that. I could go
on, but you get the picture. While, I’m not part of pulling
anyone from poverty in my gated community, there are still
people in my neighborhood who are in need. We all have
a need. It’s the deepest desire of all human hearts to be
known, and to be loved. It’s written in our DNA to be in
community and to have a family.
What Kristen and our friends are doing is building a
bridge. Like Jesus, they moved into the neighborhood. But
let’s be honest in addressing the fact it can be hard in the
day we live. It’s not all rainbows and butterflies. We have
an intense political climate and a country that is deeply
divided. I have strong convictions on things. I also believe
we should be able to have a public discourse on issues so
we can all come to a place of freedom and truth. But when
I share my heart with someone who disagrees with me I
need to make sure it’s the right time. I need to make sure
it’s from a place of love. I want to look at the intent behind
what I’m saying. Is what I’m saying redemptive? Is it for the
highest and best good of the other person or is my ultimate
motivation to get them to think like me so it’s easier for me
to live in community with them?
Even though it can be challenging at times, I’m thankful
for the places God has planted us. We have walked with
our neighbors in good times and in bad. We grieved with
neighbors who lost a child to cancer. We’ve rejoiced with
them in new jobs, at the birth of their babies. And in these
defining life moments we are all the same. We’ve grown
closer in the triumphs and the trials. We’ve learned to love.
Read Kristen Schell: The Turquoise Table: Finding Commu-
nity and Connection in Your Own Front Yard
Today there are thousands of Turquoise Tables in all 50
States and eleven countries. We invite you to join us. Put
a Turquoise Table in your front yard, or local community
gathering space, invite neighbors and friends to join you.
We are building stronger neighborhoods and communities,
one Turquoise Table at a time.
Follow my friends on social media at Noble Roads Media to look for upcoming, inspiring shows.
To learn more about Michelle and see what she’s up to, visit her page on Facebook at “Michelle
Wallace-Hand of the King”.
DALLAS COUNTY Living Well Magazine | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018
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