Every Good Gift

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

James 1:17 ESV

Our neighbors left last week. They finished their teaching contract and moved back to Spain, where they are from. It was bittersweet having to say goodbye. Liam has cried about it at different times ever since we learned that they would be leaving earlier this year, asking me if I will miss them too through tears. I always tell him I will, but I’ve said goodbye so often that I didn’t expect this farewell to be so hard. It is only now that they are gone that I am recognizing how much they’ve left a void in our lives.

Lately, I miss the pitter-patter of tiny feet as the young neighbor boys chased after each other in the apartment above us. JJ and I would often encourage Liam to follow suit and run around too, although he has always declined the suggestion until recently, as little CJ is becoming more mobile.


I’ll also miss the conversations we had in passing at the bottom of the stairs or in the parking lot as either of us families were coming or going. Although these conversations never lasted for long, they certainly were never shallow. We shared about the joys and sorrows of life together, supporting each other through the hard times and celebrating the good ones.

Just this year alone, the neighbors joined us for Liam’s birthday party, then we joined them for their oldest son’s party a month later. And then there were the times when the neighbor boys would play outside of the apartment complex under their parents’ watchful eye, and Liam would eagerly ask to join them, often resulting in me hoisting him over our patio railing so he could catch bugs with them or play chase. And when bubbles would lazily cascade down to our side of the patio from above, Liam was quick to step outside and have little conversations with the neighbor boys, who were playing on their own patio with their bubble machine.

The best memories, however,  were all the meals we got to share together in their apartment or ours. JJ and I enjoyed an authentic Spanish meal at their house at one point (among other meals), and they seem to have enjoyed the meals we provided too.

We shared a lot of life together as we dealt with similar challenges in raising young boys, and I immensely feel their absence in light of it all.

Nonetheless, I know that God gave us the good gift of these sweet neighbors in the first place, and He is a generous God that still has many good gifts to give.

A few days ago, as we were preparing to go out of town and I was lamenting over the loss of our neighbors to JJ while we were eating dinner, Liam surprised me by his own optimism and hopeful spirit.

“Maybe we’ll have new neighbors when we get back!” he interjected.

Maybe we will. Regardless, I trust God will continue to bless us with wonderful friendships just as He already has with so many beautiful people right here in our small town.