People Loving People

As you can probably tell by other posts on this blog, there is a soft spot in my heart for my beloved 12th South Neighborhood.  When I drive through, I want to open my arms and give the whole street a big hug. Whether it’s the craftsman-style houses, the families strolling down the sidewalks, the coffee shops, or the FOOD, it’s definitely my kind of place.

Whenever I get the chance to suggest a dinner location for any occasion, I always start with the list of 12th South restaurants. On any given night, you can find me at any one of the following: Burger Up!, Taqueria del Sol, 12th South Taproom, or Bar Taco. But, truthfully, you say 12th South, I say “What time?” 

With that said, it should come as no surprise that when Adam asked where we should eat last Saturday night, I immediately responded with Taqueria del Sol.  Adam, knowing that he shouldn’t even try to compete with such a tasty suggestion, agreed.

Besides the food, one of the things I love most about my neighborhood is the people we see when we are out. Nine times out of ten, we will see someone we know. While this night was no exception, our encounters were particularly noteworthy. 

On our way to dinner, Adam and I were discussing the pros and cons of a decision that I had been tossing around in my head for quite sometime.  I had ultimately made my decision, but Adam couldn’t quite understand my choice.  Immediately after pulling up to the restaurant, we ran into a friend, who, out of nowhere, reaffirmed the decision for me.   Thank you, Jesus – I needed that sign...and to prove to Adam that I was right (wink, wink).

Then, while eating dinner, we ran into a partner who works with Adam.  After talking to us for a few minutes, he sneakily paid for our meal. A small deed that wasn’t necessary but that will certainly stick with me for a long time. The fact that this small act of kindness even crossed his mind (much less that he actually followed through with it), spoke volumes of his character and the respect he must have for Adam. This made me one proud wife! {insert cheesiest grin}

We spoke with many different people while sitting at the bar that night and even made some new friends through our mutual love for the Grizzles (who lost a heartbreaker to Golden State… I think). Well, to be totally honest, I don’t really care for the NBA.  I either cheer for the Grizzles (the home state team) or whichever team has a former Duke player on the roster. But, back to the point: all these interactions really reminded me of the deep love God has for his people. 

Photo from intsapray.com

In my opinion (and its my blog so that’s all that matters), the best way to witness God’s love is to experience people loving people. Even though it was just your typical Saturday night out in 12th South, Adam and I were reminded of the importance of loving those around us the way God loves us – even complete strangers. It’s amazing what lessons you can learn from the people you interact with when you just slow down and truly pay attention. 

Don’t even get me started on paying attention during a lesson – I’m a teacher – I ask little humans to pay attention to me all day long. But, what I am challenging you to do as you go through this day, or maybe even this week, is to pay attention to people loving people… and even people loving you. And my prayer for you is that through this experience you will gain an understanding of just how much God loves his people. 

-Taylor Ann