How I accidentally learned to build neighborhood community

I think those were the affectionate words I used when when Micah first showed me our now current home listed on the MLS. At first glance through the photos, it was everything we had been looking for. L-O-V-E-D it. We were particularly partial to the central location in the city, which became a non-negotiable during our search. Would you like to know how we settled on this specific area of town? Let me walk you through this process. #holdmybeer 🍺

I sometimes (read: always) like to leave our trash cans out by the curb for one extra day post trash pick-up so thats a big no to West O. However, I also don’t own a long haired cat or a record player for my vinyl collection so no to Benson, bro. But also I need a legit yard for my busy velociraptor children of which I am a proud mama so nay to a high-rise condo downtown.

Where is the box I check for “likes to forget about tricycles I left out in the rain while holding a glass of wine”? Ahh. There it is. Welcome to the magical land of central Omaha. You are the one for me. 😍

Secondary requirements during this quest were a large front porch where I could Cracker Barrel that thing up with rockers, a walk-out basement because JUST SAY NO TO DUNGEONS, and non-basement laundry (see previous dungeon note). Shockingly, none of these secondary things were important to Micah. What. Why. Do you want to be eaten by a dragon in a dark basement? OKAY BUDDY. Also, who doesn’t value the porch rocking experience? Should I just leave you a stationary chair in the middle of the backyard? ☠️

Scrolling through these photos, I was so thrilled we had finally found the *perfect* house until he clicked on one particular photo and showed me the GIANT POND OF DEATH in the backyard some people like to refer to as an in-ground pool.

Our kids were tiny at the time and they were just missing one small skill those same people call swimming. How would I sleep? Would it be weird if we put our bed by the back door so we can make sure it’s very safe? IT WILL BE NEAT TO HAVE OUR BEDROOM IN THE KITCHEN. So very cozy. #blindsdownthough

After much deliberation about safety and the unknown cost of maintenance and pool chemicals (important note: chemistry was my worst subject in school. I’m confident pH stands for “Probably Hard”), we decided to walk away from the house.

WHICH WAY TO NINEVEH, GOD? 🐳 Okay. I’ll go the other way because my passive aggressive game is strong. #byefelicia

But you know you what happened to Jonah? He had a lot of time to drink his La Croix in the whale and think about why he disobeyed God. I think we also had 3 days to sit and think about our decision because REAL ESTATE MARKET ON FIRE and eventually we both got the nudge to reconsider. I made a nice little compromise with God because I’m such a mature follower of Jesus that went “I’m all in but we are excavating that bad boy,” and we got a quote to do just that. How much was that going to cost? Not as much as we thought which was fantastic. It helps to know friends in the excavating business who can give you a bomb deal.

This will be fine and great and wonderful.

When we told everyone our magical plan, exactly zero people thought it was a good idea. They are all not my friends anymore. This is the end of the blog.

Just kidding. But actually they said “Why would you take out an amazing in-ground pool? Think of the fun your kids would have! Think about the memories you would make! Think about how incredible your summers would be!”

After an accepted offer and a few weeks until closing, we prayed hard (and also a lot) about this giant hole of wet in the yard. The conversation slowly changed from “I AM NOT OKAY WITH THIS” to googling how to vacuum a swimming pool.

Some days I felt all Psalm 23 “He leads me beside still waters” and some days I felt all

I’d say my turning point in all of this back and forth madness I put myself through was deciding to let the desire for hospitality triumph over my fleshly fears and use this pool as the easiest means to connect with neighbors and friends. At our core, we are people who are deeply passionate about community, relationships, and our neighbors knowing each other intimately. And let me tell you, a swimming pool helps facilitate that quite well.

Spoiler alert: WANT TO MAKE INSTA FRIENDS? INSTALL A POOL, OFFER COLD BEVERAGES, AND START CHARGING ADMISSION. Joking. Don’t do that. Only charge for children.

Truly though, people love the relaxation and fun that comes along with a refreshing dip in the pool. The walls seem to come down as the inflatable unicorns come out.

However, spending time together is great and fun but my ultimate goal isn’t to point people towards a pool raft, its to point them toward the hope we have in Christ.

If we truly understand the gospel, we bring other people in because Christ also brought us in. We love the people God loves and boy, does God love these people around us. Jesus calls us to live a life of generosity and to share our possessions with others and this includes swimming pools. My backyard is your backyard. Simply put, the gospel and hospitality go hand in hand.

Here’s how this plays out at our home over the summer. You can find people in our pool approximately six days per week. And because you can’t swim without snacks, the neighborhood kids know I’m always stocked on popsicles because THIS IS AMERICA AND WE BOMB POP SO HARD.🇺🇸 Somehow the kids have exactly no trouble finding their way to the freezer. Our basement fridge is littered with every beverage choice under the sun because hashtag operation hydration.

If we can find an excuse to swim, gosh darnit, we do it. This includes hosting lunch + swim playdates, nighttime swims for the teenagers because I AM THE COOL MOM AND ITS LIT TO SWIM IN THE DARK (doesn’t something being lit negate the darkness? Now I just sound old), and neighborhood block parties where people ride inflatable alligators in the deep end while handing out high fives.

It’s about as epic as it sounds.

Of course, it’s not a complete free for all. We really do still have many safety precautions like locks on every door with alarms that chime when a door opens and six foot fences and all the homeowners insurance and EVEN MORE LOCKS BECAUSE WE AREN’T TOTAL FOOLS, but I do sleep at night and our bed isn’t actually in the kitchen like I imagined it would be.

Lots of people find this helpful on many levels. Bless.

Sometimes I think about what I would have missed had I have let fear win; what we all would have missed. To say that this pool has been one of our greatest treasures in connecting with those around us would be and understatement. I would have never thought I’d be the one loading my Costco cart with 200lbs of chlorine and shock each summer (TICKETS TO THE GUN SHOW SOLD HERE), but I’m so honored to do it.

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