May 28 – “Fences”

Fences.  So different.  So many different reasons.  Our neighbor behind us contacted a realtor to sell their house.  The realtor said they "had" to have a wood fence.  So they built one about eight or so inches away from our chain link fence.  And now.  Now there is that strip of no-man's land between wood and chain link that is free to grow all sorts of evil demon devil weeds.  Should we use Round-up? (That's a possibility, but will it affect Chris' flower bed which is right there at the fence line?)  Maybe we could change the oil in our car and pour some of the old stuff in there? (Well, it would definitely work, but it is, well, illegal)  So should we tear down the chain link? That's what our neighbor suggested.  (No, because when a storm blows over the wood fence, the chain link will still keep our dogs in the yard)   On one side of our back yard we used to have one of those roll-up wooden fences that you wire to the chain link.  It was carried away by the flood.  Now Chris says she wants to replace it so people who are walking on the road that goes past the neighbor's house won't be able to see into our back yard and scope out possible theft opportunities (Hah.  Wrong house)   And the other side?  Well, that's the one with the abandoned house.  The neighbors on the other side of it have already put up a wood privacy fence.  But it's the only side where Chris says she doesn't really want a fence.  She is holding out hope that by some miracle we can buy that property, tear down the house and the fence, and have a really big back yard.  If that happens, we really will need some mission trip groups to come down and help us clear it out.  It'll be just like after the storm again.  What memories.   Speaking of that yard.  One of the dead trees back there has officially begun its fall, and it is headed right toward the power lines and our cable lines.  The only thing holding it up right now is one of the other dead trees.  Can you say … domino?   Psalms 122:7 says, "May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels."   Father, all we really want is peace within our walls – the real walls we build inside, not the fences out back.  Amen.