An Alabama mother encountered a rude letter in her mailbox explaining that her wild lawn needed to be cut.

The letter said, “Your eyesore is affecting the resale value of our homes,” the note states. “Who wants to buy a house near you and look at that daily? It does not take that much effort.” 

Facebook/Jaxen’s Army for Justice

Randa Ragland was reluctant to share the letter.

She chose to share it to a private group on Facebook because she wanted people to think before they acted in anger. 

See, her son Jaxen was diagnosed with stage-4 neuroblastoma in October 2018 before turning three-years-old. The family is in turmoil, working with doctors to save his life. Jaxen was hospitalized 20 times, undergoing seven surgeries as well. 

So, the grass was not a priority.

“I say all of this to say. Try being kind to your neighbor or the stranger you let in when there’s traffic. Say hello to people. Just kindness. It’s crazy how things like this can truly change a person. Because just a year ago. I would [have] been so angry from this note. But I truly don’t have the energy for that kind of negativity,” she wrote. “Maybe the owner of this note might see this. And maybe not. But either way, I feel this might touch someone and that is enough in itself,” Ragland told Yahoo! Lifestyle.

She wasn’t the only one disturbed by the letter. Shortly after the message hit Facebook, people arrived at her house bringing baby supplies, food, landscaping services and above all, hope.

This account was convicting.

How many times did I judge someone when I didn’t have all the facts? Worse, is taking action about something that could negatively impact another person. I’ve passed yards on the block where I thought: “Why don’t they care enough to mow?” I never sent a letter, but what if that happened? What if I made a snarky comment? 

We never know what another person is dealing with. They could be elderly, sick or could be out of town. Next time, I will pause before condemning another person. 

Ragland’s neighbor was uncivil and reacted out of anger. If they stopped by the house and talked to her, they would’ve discovered the truth. Perhaps, they could’ve offered to help. Yet, maybe this was a means for God to arrange help for her during a time of need. 

Jesus said and it’s a great reminder: “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” – Luke 6:37

About the Author

Corine Gatti-Santillo has spent two decades as an editor, investigative reporter and web content strategist; her work has appeared in The Christian Post, LifeZette and CBN, among other outlets. She is host of the program “Mom on the Right” on The Liberty Beacon TV. She and her husband, Rocky, live in Virginia with their infant daughter and yellow lab Maggie.

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