26 A righteous person is careful in dealing with his neighbor,^[a]
but the ways of the wicked lead them astray. (Proverbs 12:26 CSB)

I have lived in the same house for over thirty years. Growing up in small towns this was not uncommon. But living in the city it is far less common to be planted in one place for so long.

During this time I have seen neighbors come and seen neighbors go. The neighborhood I live in has remained in relatively good shape and as things developed around us it brought improvements in the area.

So I can say that I have been blessed with a good neighborhood and good neighbors as well. We have made friendships here and our roots now run pretty deep in the area. Roots are different in the city than they were when I grew up in small Texas towns.

Regardless, I have made a point to be kind to those around me. I have tried to lend a hand to my neighbors when they needed it and only ask for help when I absolutely had to have it. In this way there are a hand full of people here we all know we can count on.

So much more so within the community of our churches we need to develop roots and bonds to the people we see regularly. When we deal carefully with those around us we build lasting bonds.