Topeka, Indiana
There Pam goes again yelling and slamming anything in reach. She professes to be a Christian, but sometimes she doesn’t sound like one. Mary Troyer drummed her fingers against the armrest of the glider out back. When will my neighbor friend treat people and animals with goodness?
“Floyd, get that dog out of here. He chewed on my shoes!” Pam’s voice rang as she pushed the screen door open and her husband led the animal out. “If that dog keeps this up, we’re getting rid of him!” Pam closed the door with a bang.
Mary heard Floyd talking gently to the dog, and a minute afterward, he went back inside. It was obvious Pam was on the warpath. And it wasn’t easy to listen to someone get so upset like she did.
Mary had been married to her husband, Timothy, for two years. After moving to the neighborhood, she’d become acquainted with Pam Hayward, an English lady. Mary was bothered to see her neighbor treat others so rudely, and so far there hadn’t been any improvement. Pam could often be abrupt and curt. Mary thought it was best not to say anything, but recently she’d begun to wonder if she should talk to Pam about her attitude. She just wasn’t sure how to go about it so she wouldn’t offend her neighbor.
Two days later, Mary went out to fill the bird feeders around the perimeter of their house. She saw her husband leave in their buggy to go to the feed store. Mary waved at him and continued her task, while the birds overhead in the fir trees chattered. She wondered if it was because they were waiting for the seed to eat. Soon Mary became distracted when the mailman came up the next-door neighbor’s sidewalk, delivering a package. She watched him leave a parcel at Pam’s door. Before he got back into his vehicle, Pam came out and picked it up. A few seconds later, she plodded down her steps yelling, “Hey, this isn’t mine! You’ve delivered the wrong package. Where’s mine instead? Is it still in your delivery rig? I’m expecting something important to be shipped to me through the mail.” Pam looked through one of his van windows, and then she gave him back the parcel. “Are you sure my package isn’t on your truck?” Pam stood with her hands resting on her hips.
“Yes, ma’am, I don’t have anything else for your residence today.” He put the box away and climbed in. “Sorry for the mix-up.” Then he drove off to continue his route.
She seems pretty upset. I’ll go and speak to her. I hope it will help the situation. Mary set the bag of wild bird seed down and walked over to Pam. “Hello. Is everything okay?”
Pam pointed at the retreating vehicle. “That mail person we have is such a scatterbrain. Today he left someone else’s package on my porch. Then he acted all nervous about it when I asked if he still had mine in the truck.”
“I’m sure he didn’t mean to do that.” Mary used her apron to wipe away the beads of sweat on her forehead.
Pam continued her rant. “Why can’t he do his job right? I mean, is it that difficult to see that the address on the package doesn’t match my house numbers?”
Mary’s tone carried favor for the postman. “You could be blowing this out of proportion. It’s only a package, and he doesn’t do this all the time. He was probably upset because you spoke harshly to him.”
“I’m not blowing this out of proportion, and I wasn’t harsh to him either. I thought you would understand my situation, but I guess I was wrong.” Pam frowned. “I think you should go; we’re done talking.”
Mary’s heart clenched as she watched her neighbor go back into her house. Guess I didn’t handle that well. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything at all.
That evening Mary cleared the table of the dinner dishes. I want to help Pam, but I’ll need some input. She scraped off the plates and rinsed them. Timothy had gone outside after the meal to feed the horses. He’d mentioned he needed to work on a broken buggy light too.
Mary dabbed at the perspiration on her forehead. The afternoon had been hot and sticky, and the house still held the heat from the day. When she finished her work, Mary figured she’d take a walk outside, hoping the cooler evening air would feel better. She also planned to check on Timothy.
In the meantime, she couldn’t help reflecting on her friend’s abrupt ways. Mary felt a strong desire to help Pam. As she stood by the open window washing dishes, she heard her neighbor hollering—at their dog, maybe? But the clear view Mary had showed Pam yelling at her husband and then slamming their back door. If only Pam could see that a lack of goodness toward others can be incredibly hurtful.
After the dishes were done, Mary decided some iced tea with lemon would be nice and she’d get Timothy a glass too. She grabbed two glasses out of the cupboard and set them on the table. Mary got out some sliced lemon and the tea from the refrigerator, then carried the glasses to the freezer to fill them up with ice cubes. Mary enjoyed standing near the coolness of the icebox and lingered there for a moment. This feels so nice, but I don’t want to chance letting things thaw. She closed the door and finished preparing the tea. She carried the drinks out the back door and walked straight to the buggy shed. When she stepped in, she didn’t see Timothy at first and hesitated. Maybe he’s still with the horses. Mary looked toward the barn but then heard a noise.
“Hello?” Mary paused.
“Hey, I’m in the waegli.”
Oh, that’s right, Timothy said he’d be in the buggy.
“I’ve almost got the old one out. It’s worn out.”
“That’s too bad, but it’ll be nice to be able to turn on the dome light again so we can see inside the buggy after dark.”
“I agree.”
“I’ve brought you some iced tea with lemon.” Mary leaned against their rig.
“Thank you for bringing this out.” Timothy took a deep sip and set the glass in the cup holder next to him. “That really hits the spot.”
She smiled. “I thought it would help cool us off.”
“It’s refreshing, and it tastes good too.”
Mary swirled the ice cubes within her glass and frowned.
“Okay, what’s up?”
“I still feel bothered by what happened earlier today with Pam.”
“I can understand your mood and how you must feel. Friendships can be tricky, and you’ve got to know how to deal with certain people.”
“You’re right about that. I’m concerned about Pam’s attitude and sharp tongue. It’s not becoming for someone who says they’re a Christian. I need to know how to improve and deepen my friendship with Pam.” Mary stood by the buggy.
Timothy reached out and touched her hand. “I’ll be praying that things will work out for you to speak with Pam again. The Lord can give us the right words if we pray and trust in Him.”
“Thank you. And I’ll be doing the same this evening before going to bed.” Mary drank her tea.
“We have light again.” Timothy pointed to the brand-new light. “I’m not an electrician, but at least I got the wiring figured out on this thing.”
“I had no doubts that you could fix it, Husband.”
He nodded. “Thank you. By the way, do we have any more of those brownies left? I could use a little snack or dessert.”
“Jah, there are a few left. I can put on some coffee to go with them. Or maybe it’s too warm for a hot drink.”
“I don’t mind having a cup even if it’s warm out. And I’m done for the evening.” He set aside the screwdriver and finished his iced tea.
“Okay, I’ll walk with you back to the house then.”
Mary watched Timothy put away the items he’d used and close up the buggy shed. He took hold of her hand as they walked toward the house. Streaks of pink flooded the sky, and they stopped to admire the beautiful sunset. It was a wonderful end to a day that had been marked by some unpleasant moments.
A couple of days had gone by since Mary had gone over to Pam’s place. She’d been thinking about her neighbor and felt perplexed about how to fix things. Timothy left for work earlier than usual, and her sister Karen would be coming soon. Mary set out all the supplies they’d be using to can pickled beets. She’d gotten the jars and lids washed. And she’d started cooking up the beets and checked on their tenderness. The aroma was pleasing to Mary; she’d been raised on them and they were always her favorite vegetable. There was a rap on the back door and Karen stepped in. “I’m ready to get started, Sister.” She came over and gave Mary a hug.
“If you don’t mind, would you make up the vinegar brine we’ll need?” Mary went back over to the beets simmering on the stove. “There’s a saucepan you can use right there.”
Mary watched Karen set down her handbag and wash her hands. My sister loves to do canning, and her pantry is going to be overfilled again, I’m sure. Karen looked over the recipe on the counter, getting out some measuring spoons and cups from one of the drawers. It was nice to have the help, and Mary enjoyed being with her.
Karen came over and stood by her. “Okay, this will be good. I’ll use some of the beet juice along with some sugar, vinegar, and pickling salt. Do you have the cloves?”
Mary looked at her spice rack. “We’re good; I’ve got a brand-new container of them.” She handed it to her sister. “I’m about ready to drain the beets. I poked them with a fork and they’re tender.”
“I’ll ladle some of the juice now and put it into the saucepan you have ready.” Karen hummed quietly while putting the brine together.
Mary toted the pot over to the sink and drained it. “I need to tell you about my neighbor friend.”
“Okay, I’m listening.” Karen turned on the burner under the sauce pan holding the red, pickling juice.
Mary explained the whole story to her sister while they worked on peeling the beets. It was nice to have her older sister there to listen.
“You know, it wouldn’t hurt for you to give your neighbor some beets when they’re finished.” Karen stuffed a jar with sliced beets and added cloves to it.
“That’s a good idea, Sister.”
“Also, an apology would be good too. Even though you were trying to help her out.”
“I think you’re right. Pam was upset and I didn’t handle the situation tactfully.”
“By setting the example of goodness to her, Pam will hopefully learn to do the same.” Karen stopped peeling and went to the stove. She retrieved the steaming deep-red brine and filled the jars with it.
While her sister took care of filling them, Mary stepped over to the stove to heat up the deep canner for processing the glass containers. “I am so blessed to have you to talk to. It has eased my stress, and we’re getting something accomplished at the same time.”
“I’m glad to have given you some ideas to try with your friend.” Karen poked the handle of a wooden spoon into the prepared jars to get rid of some trapped air bubbles. “Be faithful in prayer and things should get better.”
“I shall.”
Karen tightened the last jar. “These eight are ready. I’ll go ahead and set them into the canner.”
“Sounds good.” Mary waited for all the jars to be placed inside before filling up the deep steamer with water. Once the beets were covered, she turned the burner on high. “What will you be making for supper this evening?”
“I’ve got plenty of pizza dough in the refrigerator and all the trimmings for two families to enjoy.”
“Mmm, that makes me hungry.”
“You and Timothy are welcome to join us for supper this evening.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. Also, we could get in a game of Rook after our stomachs rest.”
Mary smiled. “You’ve talked me into it.”
“Good. We can probably eat around six this evening.”
“That’ll be fine. Timothy should be home at five and then we’ll come over.”
“All right.” Karen looked toward the canner. “How’s the water?”
“It’s heating but not ready quite yet.” Mary opened one of the drawers. “I should find the tongs for grabbing the jars from the canner, but I’m not sure where I put them.”
“I’ll help you find the tongs.” Karen stepped over to another drawer and started digging through it.
“They’re not in this one.” Mary tapped her cheek. Where are they?
“I don’t see them in this one either.”
“Maybe they’re in the pantry in the plastic container.” Mary closed the drawer and went inside the small closet for a moment. “Found them!”
“That’s good. Those tongs make it much easier to handle the hot jars.”
“I agree.”
Karen looked over at the stove. “The kettle is starting to show some steam.”
“Good, we’ll be on our way soon. Let’s prep some more jars for the next batch.”
Together they worked on the second batch to can. This had been a productive day. Mary got to talk to her sister about what to do about Pam, and they both were getting the beets put up for this year.
Mary got more beets ready to cook. I hope my efforts with Pam won’t flop like the last time.
A day later, Mary stood at the stove heating water for tea. Looking out the kitchen window, she watched a pair of doves eating some seeds under a feeder. Thank You, Lord, for another beautiful morning. Mary clicked off the burner under the pot of hot water and poured it over her tea bag inside the mug. I think I’ll go next door and visit with Pam today.
She went to the pantry and opened the door. Mary stared at the glistening jars of beets all lined up on the shelf. I know Pam will like these because she’s sampled them before and commented on their good flavor. She picked out a couple of jars and carried them to the kitchen table.
Then Mary went for a couple of cookies from the jar and retrieved her steaming cup of tea. Timothy had left for work already and she’d cleaned up the breakfast dishes. Now it was time to relax. Her sweet snickerdoodles tasted good along with the chai tea she sipped.
Mary’s thoughts went to the previous evening, which they’d spent with her sister and her family. The pizzas tasted so good, especially with Karen’s homemade dough. She’d made a deep dish–style crust for one of them, and it was delicious. Mary saved a slice to have for her lunch today. Also, the game of Rook was great. She and Karen won a game and then the men did too. Karen had made brownies for dessert and chocolate chip cookies. It was a fun night eating and playing cards.
Mary smiled and sipped her tea. The house was quiet, but outside she heard the neighbor yelling about something again. She rose and looked out the window. A couple of dogs were wandering around in her yard, but when Pam came out on the lawn, they took off.
Great … she’s already having a bad day, and now I’m feeling hesitant about following through on my plan. This has a bit of a similar feel to the other day, which isn’t helping me feel confident right now. Mary continued to sip her tea and tried to stop dwelling on Pam’s outburst with the stray dogs. I want to make things right with my neighbor friend, so I’m going to follow through with it. She drank the rest of her tea and set the cup in the sink. Mary went to her room to freshen up, then picked up the jars from the table and went out the door.
Mary headed across the lawn and up the steps to her neighbor’s home. She gave a few raps on the door and waited. It wasn’t long before Pam came out. “Hello.”
“Hi, Pam. I want to apologize for the things I said to you the other day, and I’ve got some freshly canned pickled beets for you too.” Mary handed her the jars.
Pam set them down by her feet and gave Mary a hug. “Thank you for apologizing. I’m also sorry for my behavior. Come inside, please.”
“Okay.” Mary followed Pam into the kitchen.
Pam motioned to a chair. “I have to admit something.”
“What is it?”
“I know I need to change my attitude. I’m not happy being so harsh to others. You seem to treat people with patience and love. You’re a good person, Mary.”
“Thank you…. I can say that I am not perfect, and it isn’t always easy for me to practice goodness. The Bible teaches us that we should do good to all people, and I want to please God.”
“I guess I’ve been too preoccupied with my own issues to care about others, and that isn’t right.”
Mary nodded. “It’s a simple choice, really, and once you’ve made that decision, the only work is in keeping it going.”
“I would like to change even if it isn’t going to be easy.”
“It takes time, but you can do it if you pray and ask God to help.”
“Thank you, Mary.” Pam smiled. “Oh, I noticed your sister was over. Did she help you make up the beets you brought over?”
“Yes.”
“It must be nice to have a sister you can do things together with.”
“Karen and I usually get along well, but sometimes there can be misunderstandings. We always talk about things and work through problems so there aren’t any bad feelings.”
“I’d like to have that kind of a relationship with my sister, Shelly. She lives nearby, but we don’t get along well.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Mary shifted in her seat.
“I didn’t want you to know, but for some reason I felt the need to share that.”
Mary clasped Pam’s hand. “I’ll be praying for you and your sister.”
“Thank you.” Pam’s eyes glistened with tears. “I’m glad you came over today. It’s been good for me to open up about things.”
“Well, friends should be able to talk to each other and share.”
The two women laughed and visited for a while. Mary felt pleased she’d carried through on her decision to mend their relationship. She had gotten to see another side of Pam today that she’d never seen before. Watching her neighbor open up today had been refreshing. Would this time together result in changed behavior for Pam as the days moved on?
Mary waited for Timothy to clean up for their meal that evening. She wanted to share with him about her visit with Pam today. It wasn’t long before he came in and took a seat at the table. “I’m sure glad to be home. It was a busy day at the trailer factory.”
“You sound tired. Let’s pray so we can get started.” She closed her eyes.
They prayed silently and then Mary passed the meatballs in sauce to Timothy. Then she dished herself a portion of the noodles and handed the bowl to him.
“I thought about making mashed potatoes, but the pasta sounded better to me.” She spooned a few meatballs and some gravy over her noodles. “There are warm rolls wrapped in foil next to you.”
“Okay, I’ll open them. Would you like one?” he asked, after choosing a couple for himself.
She lifted her plate close to him. “Please.”
“Oh good, pickled beets. I’ve been waiting for you to prepare these.”
“I’m happy you like them so much. By the way, I did go over to Pam’s with a couple of jars of beets today.”
Timothy looked up from his plate. “How did that go?”
Mary shared the whole story with him and her thoughts about it. He seemed positive about what she’d said to Pam and reminded Mary that example and prayer could be two good keys in this situation. Mary agreed and hoped that Pam would try to put kindness into practice.
She set her water glass down. “So far it has been quiet next door. I weeded in the flower beds this afternoon, and there was no yelling.”
“Let’s hope it can continue.” Timothy smiled. “Dinner is very good, Fraa.”
“Thank you. I’ve made a blueberry pie for dessert, and there might be some vanilla ice cream to top it off.”
“Mmm … I can’t wait for dessert. Blueberry is one of my favorite pies.”
As they finished their meal, Mary and Timothy chatted about his workday and what plans he had for fixing the loose back porch hand rail.
Tomorrow would be an off-Sunday for Mary and Timothy. She thought about visiting another Amish church district, like they sometimes did, but would wait and see what her husband wanted to do.
For now, Mary had some Saturday chores to do, and one was cutting the grass. After checking the fuel level, she rolled the mower out from the shed. Mary had forgotten that she had filled it up after the last time she’d used it, so that was one less thing to do now.
She gave a quick pull and the mower started. Mary pushed it along under the warm sunshine; it felt nice. The birds scattered from their feeders as she came rolling nearby. “Sorry, fellas, but I’ve got work to do.”
Sometimes her husband did this chore, but today Timothy had left to do some work over at his dad’s place. He’d mentioned that he would be gone through lunch, since his dad wanted help fixing his tractor.
Mary had some leftovers to heat up and would be dining alone. Which wasn’t a big deal for her these days since it was only them at the house. She continued mowing until the back of the yard was completed. I think it’s time for a break; I’ll go dump this grass then get a drink of water.
After unhooking the grass catcher, she headed to where the clippings lay in a pile and shook out the bag. Then she walked back to the mower and attached the thing back into place. While doing that, Mary thought she heard the sound of the mail truck out front. I’ll go see if it is. Coming around the house, Mary saw the letter carrier’s vehicle stop at the neighbors’ place. He set a few packages on their front porch and then headed back to his rig.
This mailman wasn’t their usual carrier; maybe their postman was out sick today. Mary went to the box and collected their mail, then headed into the house. She wondered if this postman had done okay next door with the mail he’d delivered. So far things were quiet next door, but it had only been a few days since Mary’s visit.
In the kitchen, she grabbed a glass and filled it with water, then went back outside to work on the side yard and front.
Once Mary fired up the mower, she was hard at it again. The grass was much thicker on this side of the house, so she’d be working there longer. With each pass she made, the mower became heavier to push, and it wasn’t long before the grass catcher needed emptying. Timothy did a great job feeding this part of the lawn.
Perspiration beaded on Mary’s face, but she worked hard until the side yard was done. The front yard was a lot quicker to do, and there was more to see. Mary liked to see people going by in their buggies and other vehicles. Right away, Mary waved at a couple of buggies that went by. After a few passes with the mower, she noticed Pam come out to get her mail. Mary tried not to stare but snatched glances when possible. Her neighbor picked up each of the packages and looked them over. Also, she grabbed the letters from their mailbox.
Mary couldn’t tell if there were any problems just by observing Pam’s body language. Maybe things went okay this time. She kept moving the machine along the grass. Soon she finished the yard and dumped the last bag of clippings, then put the mower away. She went into the house and had another glass of water. I think I’ll put leftovers from last night in the oven and heat them up for lunch. While they’re heating, I’ll sit on the front porch and rest.
Mary took a seat in a wicker chair and sipped her water. She couldn’t help admiring her hard work. The yard looked good and the smell of cut grass was wonderful. Mary had in mind another chore to do after lunch, and that was hosing off the house. She could see the cobwebs hanging around and a few spiders’ nests too. Mary looked around the eaves then reached over to the railing and tugged on it. Timothy does need to reinforce this, and the sooner it happens the better. Mary released it and sat back in her chair. She saw Pam coming outside and heading to her car. The neighbor had a package and placed it inside on the passenger seat. It wasn’t long before Pam pulled out of the driveway and her vehicle disappeared.
Mary headed back inside to check on her food. The timer she’d set was about to go off, so she opened the oven. The food looked hot and Mary gave it a stir to double check. It’s steaming and I’m ready to eat. Grabbing some oven mitts, she carried the pan to the table and placed it on a potholder. Then she retrieved the pitcher of lemonade from the refrigerator and poured some into her empty water glass. She pulled out the chair where her place setting was, sat down, and prayed silently. The food smelled good, and the taste was even better. Her cold citrus drink was a nice contrast to the hot meal. Mary heard the birds singing from the open kitchen window. She felt relaxed in the quiet room with the fresh air filtering in from outside.
When Mary finished her lunch she took the dishes to the sink and rinsed them off. Her stomach was full and she was tempted to relax in the easy chair. But there were still places on the house that needed to be washed off with the hose. When Mary stepped over to the stove to make sure she’d shut it off, there was a knock at the kitchen door.
“I wonder who it could be,” she murmured before opening the door.
“Hello, Mary.”
“Hi, Pam, come in.”
“I just wanted to return one of your jars.”
“Thank you. Did you enjoy the beets?”
“Oh yes, they were delicious. We ate them heated for supper last night, and I had them cold on a salad for lunch today.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed them. Would you like to have a seat?”
“Sure, that would be nice.” Pam slid out a chair from the table. “I just got back a while ago from delivering a package.”
“Hmm … like a gift?”
“Nope.” She shook her head. “The new mail person messed up and gave me a wrong parcel. So I took it to the right address. The person was happy to receive it; they’d been waiting for it to come.”
“That was nice of you.”
“Actually, it felt good doing it.” She grinned.
Mary joined her at the table. “Which neighbors?”
“It was the Daniels up a block from here. Nice older couple.”
“Yes, I know who you’re talking about.”
“It was mentioned that it was a birthday gift from their daughter for Mr. Daniel, so he was delighted to receive it.”
“I’m sure.”
“Oh, and I have some good news.”
“You do? What is it?”
“Remember when we talked last, and I told you about my sister, Shelly?”
“Yes.” Mary leaned in closer.
“Well, we’ve been talking again and we’re getting together for lunch this coming week.” Her eyes glistened.
“That is wonderful news. It’s good to hear such a nice update.”
“Thank you for your prayers. I’ve been working on changing my ways, and I’m already seeing positive results from it.”
“Kindness is a good thing. It can heal ourselves and others too.”
“I agree with you. It’s not always easy, but it is worth doing.” Pam rose from her chair.
“Well, I need to get back home. My husband is getting ready to head downtown.”
“I’ll walk you out.”
They hugged, and Mary followed her neighbor out the door. After watching Pam head back home, Mary closed her eyes. Thank You, Lord, for helping my friend to understand the importance of goodness and put it into practice. You inspire me to keep my focus on You, for I want my life to be filled with goodness and love toward others.
For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.
EPHESIANS 5:9