Ah, the Fourth of July-- the day for cookouts, fireworks, and patriotism. But what does one do when one no longer has a backyard with a grill?
You pack a picnic and head to Riverside Park to watch the fireworks on the Hudson River, obviously!
A group of us each grabbed a few choice items and met up to head over to the park. I went to Fairway to get some of the food items, but I finished while Steve and Ellen were still on the bus. So I grabbed an iced tea and sat at a table in Starbucks to spend some time journaling while I waited for them to get there. My table was next to the window, and about twenty minutes later I saw Steve, Ellen, and Ellen's friend Audrey with a bag, a wiffle bat, and a football-- they stood outside the window waving to me and holding up their goodies (we've been talking about playing wiffle ball for quite a while now). I shook my head and mouthed to them that they had the wrong ball. It was like watching a mime show: Ellen held up a finger to tell me to wait, then assumed her position as batter. Steve tossed her the football, and she hit it with the wiffle bat. It went about two feet. They did this a few minutes longer, while passers-by smiled with amusement at their antics.
After a bit, we all headed over to 79th and West End where we were meeting the rest of the gang. Andy (Steve's childhood best friend who just moved to NYC with his wife) and Lorelei (his wife) showed up, more goodies in hand. Then Lorelei's friend Heather. Andy told us he had the perfect location for our picnic in his "mind's eye" so he led the way and we started to head over to Riverside Park. Gretchen called to say she was a few blocks away, so we paused on the sidewalk and threw the football around a bit while she caught up.
By this point we had quite the entourage, and we talked and laughed (mostly at Andy, let's be honest) as we made our way over to our destination. We found a nice baseball field and settled in the outfield, spreading out our blankets and the wide spread of food we'd gathered between all of us. Steve's roommate Josh came, and then Robert, a new guy who is joining their Bible study-- and the group was complete. More throwing of the football, and then a small wiffle ball game (Steve and Audrey v. Ellen and me-- with lots of ghost runners because we didn't hit enough home runs to make it work with only two batters)-- I think Ellen and I won. If Steve tells you otherwise, don't believe him-- his ghost runners were cheating.
We picnicked and hung out and laughed and feasted and played. And then the fireworks. They were behind the trees a little more than we would have liked; but they were still spectacular. We were far enough away that the explosions weren't overly loud; so we were able to continue our conversation and banter while we enjoyed the show. When it was over, we joined the masses of people headed for home.
There's something pretty cool about being surrounded by people enjoying the same spectacle as you. You're united with all these people that you've never met before, because you're celebrating the same thing. You don't know their history, what they do for work, where they live, what they're like-- but you're all there, celebrating America together.
I can't help but think that's what heaven's gonna be like-- surrounded by people that I've never met before; but I'll be celebrating the same thing they are. The same Person they are. I might not know their history, what they did for work, where they lived. I won't even speak the same language as some of them. But we'll all be there, celebrating Jesus together.
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