Dear Rose Park,
Yesterday afternoon, after his nap, Simon and I drove to the south side of town to visit Ann Lawrence. Ann is a charter member of Rose Park and lives in the cottages at Resthaven on 32nd Street. Simon and I drove south on Butternut past the doughnut shop (Dutch Delight), over the bridge, by the big diggers (Padnos), up the big hill (Holland Hospital) until we finally made it to Resthaven. As Simon and I walked inside, we saw Ann right away. She was with her friends in the activity room playing bingo.
As a gracious and hospitable host, Ann invited us to sit down next to her. Simon ‘helped’ Ann finish her last game until we went into the lobby. Ann sat in her wheelchair to my left, Simon munching on M&M’s to my right. As we chatted and caught up, I noticed Simon was making eyes with all the workers and residents. Before we knew it, Simon was done being shy and had made a few new friends while collecting a small stash of chocolate in his lap.
Ann and I shared stories of growing up in Holland. She told me stories of her beloved husband George. George passed away just a few years ago, but the wound is still fresh. Ann smiled as she told me how George was one of seventeen children. Read that again…that’s not seven, it’s seventeen. God bless those parents. Ann told me stories of her four children, her grandchildren, and her great-grandchildren. After introducing me to her best friend Harriet, Ann specifically mentioned how she was so grateful to have a loving church family. Even after moving into Resthaven shortly after George’s passing, Ann still feels connected to her family at Rose Park.
I mentioned this dynamic of family this past Sunday. As you enter our sanctuary from the west, you walk underneath a sign that reads “The Family of Rose Park.” It’s my hope that everyone feels like a member of the family. Whether you’re a charter member, someone who joined a few months ago, someone who hasn’t joined yet, or you’ve moved to the cottages at Resthaven on 32nd Street, I hope each and every person who enters the walls of Rose Park feels the love and warmth of family. We might not all agree and we might not all look alike, but that doesn’t stop us from sharing the love of Christ between us.
Just like our own families, there might be some who speak up a bit more and there are others who feel more comfortable behind the scenes. There might be some who prefer this and there are others who prefer that, but the role of family isn’t to play to our preferences, it’s to love each other regardless of preference. This is all to say, as we approach Thanksgiving and the holiday season, whether you are one of seventeen children fighting for the last biscuit at the dinner table or a single person playing bingo on 32nd Street, you are a part of God’s family and you are always welcome into the family of Rose Park.
Grace & Peace (and Happy Thanksgiving!),
Pastor Mark