What if?

Going to the park is a weekly accordance in most communities all across the world. Many stay at home mom's find themselves loading up the kids after an afternoon of cleaning up messes after messes, head to the park as a way to just not have to corral the kids for a few minutes. I see dad's at the park whose wives are at work for the day and it is their day to take care of the kids. I see the nanny at the park letting the kiddos run free for a little bit before her shift is over for the day. I see the grandma making memories with the grandkids at the park as she encourages her grandchild down the slide.

There are all kinds of people and all kinds of reasons for visiting a city park on any given day. My girls and I love to go to the park. In Oregon, there are more city parks than in any other state. That means, we literally never go to the same park! We love to explore different parks around our area. They are all different too. The play areas are different. The flowers and trees surrounding are different. Some have little creeks, some have hiking trails, some have huge ponds, some have sandboxes, some have only HUGE play equipment built for the big kids, some have the toddler section specifically designed for the tots. Each park is unique and one of a kind. But, there is something distinctly similar and familiar about each and every park that we explore.

We get out of the car and the exuberant excitement almost oozes out of the skin of my 4 year old, Grace. She gets so excited about going to the park. Hope, almost 18 months old, also gets excited. So, I will hold their hands until we get close enough into the park to release their hands and say, "Go play." This is the part that never changes. I have never once seen ANY kid at the park be hesitant about playing with another kid without ever even knowing that kids name. Grace usually picks out a group of girls and without any words spoken will begin a common ritual of 'tag'. Hope will begin to climb up and down whatever stairs are there. And will babble to whatever toddler is there at the moment. As I watch this scenario play out time and time again with kids, I see another familiar story. I look around at the perimeter of the park arena and see parent after parent lined up on the benches. One at each bench, of course. Or parents standing at a comfortable distance from the other parent. Some on their cell phones, some reading a book, some just watching their kids with a glazed look of exhaustion on their faces. Some with a look of hopelessness. I sit at my own private bench and take all of this in. I wonder to myself is any of the other parents are thinking what I'm thinking? How is it that little people barely able to even carry on a conversation can so easily, without trust issues, without any baggage, or without reservation makes a BEST friend out of the little girl or boy they just met and yet we as adults can't even share a bench or maybe even our story? Isn't that how the church functions as well? We walk into our pretty buildings and say, "Oh, Sue, nice to see you. How are you?" And without missing a beat Sue will sigh and say, "I'm good. Can't complain. Blessed." letting out another sigh. We know that there is more to Sue than what she is saying but we don't press further. That would mean that we would have to trust someone enough to open up our life to and we just don't know if we have the time for that. But, what if? What if you sat by another mom at the park and began a conversation that lead you into a great friendship? What if you opened up your home on a Sunday afternoon share some coffee with Sue and really find out how she is really doing? What if? MAYBE? We became more like Jesus? Just a thought. I know its something I'm thinking of.