These days I have two addresses: my street address and my email address. One place has a front porch with a weathered white swing. The other has a dot and a com but no doorbell.
One receives mail in a wooden box with a red flag and purple clematis that shows up every spring. The other receives mail on a blinking 17-inch screen.
I enjoy the sound of footsteps approaching our front door. It could be the kid from down the street, or maybe the postman, whistling and toting a package too big for the mailbox.
Oh, dont get me wrong. All the things that are tangible and sentimental about my home address have equal footing in my netherworld address. What, after all, could be more convenient than email? You dont have to scrounge for a stamp and an envelope.
On my computer theres the zippy delivery of a message at the click of a mouse. Messages from friends in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and North Carolina. These friends appear on my cyber doorstep daily with news, anecdotes and photos of the kids.
And then theres the Internet! Travel, shopping, education. Yet with all its bells and whistles, my computer will never replace the smell and texture of an encyclopedia. Which is exactly why there are 30 volumes of The American Peoples Encyclopedia standing at attention on the middle two shelves of the bookcase. Yes, I knowmy daughters can easily hop on a search engine and view the habits of the flightless bird from Australia, the emu. Call me old fashioned, but I want them to be able to look it up under E in a musty volume in the fading light of late afternoon.
Its this yearning for high touch that also compels me to abandon globe-hopping for a spell and bake real cookies to take to my neighbor.
We all long for high touch in a high-tech world. High-tech devices, intended for streamlined communication, actually isolate us from one another. Multi-tasking mania is keeping us from the person most accessible: the neighbor who is lonely, the friend who needs the texture and warmth of a real voice. This is high touch in a high-tech world. We need to offer it to others generously.
If Im answering emailed prayer requests from across the universe, the least I can do is take a short walk across the street to see if my neighbor needs prayer.
I am resigned to this millennial citizenshipa quirky double identity with a street address and a floating one somewhere out there in cyber-space.
Both keep me connected.
But sometime down the road, when my children come to visit me in my old age, I think well best remember the address with the front porch. The one with the creaky swing thats badly in need of an oiling and a new coat of white paint.
Kathy Joy Hoffner is a writer and radio host living in Littleton, Colorado.
Eight high-touch ways to be on mission
1. Create an old-fashioned care package and take it to your neighbor. Include homemade cookies or a pie, and gather a bouquet of fresh-cut flowers from your garden. Take some twine and attach a humorous note: I could have gone online and wired you the perfect bouquet; instead I grabbed the clippers and walked out back! Include a handwritten invitation to your church including times for worship and Sunday school. Let them know about your nursery. Have a child deliver this care package. This winsome touch will surely reach the heart and lessen any feelings of isolation.
2. Mow the lawn, rake the leaves or shovel snow for your neighbor. Leave a note: I wanted to make a difference in your yard because of the difference Jesus has made in my life. Lets talk about Him sometime. Follow up with a meal or coffee together. You may be surprised at how this unexpected act of kindness will break the ice and begin a meaningful dialogue.
3. Offer to sit with the kids while Mom takes a break. Tell her about programs at your church designed for moms and children. Leave a printed list: Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS), Vacation Bible School, Backyard Bible Clubs, Sunday school, etc. Offer to carpool. As you show an interest, this Mom will know she has a friend, and parent networking can begin!
4. If youre at home during the day, host a coffee. Invitations can be hand-delivered to the doors, or a friendly phone call will do. As your neighbors get settled, make an announcement: Welcome to my home. Please help yourself to the coffee and goodies. Id like everybody to know about my churchs Bible study on marriage (or parenting class, sermon topics, anything on your church calendar that would spark interest). If youd like to know more, I have a list of activities right beside the coffeepot. I hope youll take this home and consider coming. Ive also included the services and times at my church, and directions. Feel free to call or chat with me today if you have any questions.
A neighborhood coffee will not only warm your neighbor to you, but also put her in touch with others.
5. When you see a moving van in the neighborhood, thats your signal to be on mission! Pop by while boxes are being unloaded and lend a hand. Moving is a traumatic time; in fact moving is listed in third place right behind death and divorce as the leading cause of stress in America. Such a perplexing time is when families are most open to learning about their new surroundings.
During their first week in the new house, stop by and invite them to church. Offer to be the leading car in a caravan to show them the way. Such a heartfelt introduction to the area will lend color and warmth to their early memories of home in a strange new place.
6. Give refreshment to a caregiver. Scout out someone nearby who is caring for an aging parent, dealing with a family members extended illness or coping with a disabled child. All caregivers need a break! Youll be on mission when you give respite to this person. Offer to stay while the caregiver takes a bath or goes out shopping. Or lend a hand by picking up and delivering groceries. Tell the caregiver your church will be praying for the family. Invite them to church, and be sure your facility offers wheelchair access.
Caregivers need emotional support: go the extra mile and research agencies or ministries in the area designed specifically for their needs. List phone numbers and contact people and post it beside the caregivers telephone.
7. Being on mission means involving the kids! Next time your family is out walking the dog, give each child a large plastic bag and do trash cleanup in your area. If theres a neighborhood bulletin board, post a general note: Weve been tidying up the place.
Let us tell you about the One who removed the garbage from our lives. List church service times, location and your phone number. Who knows? You may start a quiet campaign for keeping the neighborhood clean. Many will be drawn to an act of service that asks for nothing in return. Your children will learn the value of doing something simply because it improves life, benefits others and draws them to Christ.
8. Dont forget the single adult in your neighborhood. This person may be less visible but certainly worth finding! Singles have so much to offer, yet many are reluctant to take the initiative.
Draw them out with an invitation to your church and then share a meal afterward. Youd be surprised how many singles avoid church because they live in a couples-oriented world.
Illustrations by Scott Brooks