Recently, I’ve been taking notice of the lovely little ways God has been nudging me from above.

He gently suggests that maybe, all my free time isn’t meant to be spent selfishly on myself, but connecting with others. After all, humanity was his ultimate gift to the world, the final stage in completing creation, and the compliments to all of the nature he crafted.

I’m not always willing, but being young and relatively healthy, I am always able to help my neighbor.

This May, it was literally my neighbor! I came home from work early to pick up my brother’s birthday present before we all gathered at my mom’s house to make homemade pizza and enjoy ice cream cake in celebration of Matt’s 34th year of life. As I trekked up the sidewalk, work bags in hand, I noticed my upstairs neighbor, Marilyn, had unloaded some heavy bags of groceries, as well as a hanging plant, setting them next to her car.

Not even immediately remembering that she has blocked arteries in her legs, I asked her if she needed any help up to her door. Her face broke into a rare smile, and she graciously accepted my help.

Last week, when I was walking in my neighborhood one evening with my mom, I happened upon the most awesome God wink. I met a girl who went to my university at the same time I did! Her name is Kyra, and she has a lovely boyfriend and a precious dog named Monty. I thought I recognized her previously, however I was too embarassed to be the first to reach out. But she was much bolder and braver than I and was like “Didn’t you go to Mary Washington?!” It’s so nice to have a friendly face in the neighborhood, as well as a new doggy friend.

Speaking of doggy friends, my most favorite recent God wink was when I came home from after work activities at the perfect time to see Zelda, the neighborhood corgi, and her chocolate lab friend Lennox. I am obsessed with corgis (I truly believe they are God’s second greatest gift to this world), and she always wants to run up to me and get belly rubs. I truly felt that God gifted me with that de-stressing experience so that I could experience a little extra joy that day.

How is God manifesting joy and opportunities to give back to your friends or neighbors? Leave a comment or reach out on Instagram @thechiaracollective .