Honor in the Park
Singing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” while watching a giant American flag wave from a tall fire engine ladder, is one of the many highlights of the annual Christmas in the Park celebration that Ray and I attend each year with our younger daughter and her family. I love to stand in the giant crowd looking skyward.
The emcee tells us what is about to happen. The members of the crowd gaze upward. A talented singer sings the anthem while many join in. Together we are grateful and respectful. It’s beautiful.
This year was the 5th annual Christmas in the Park in Cookeville, Tennessee’s Dogwood Park. Each year celebration planners add something new and exciting. On December 1, we had a new visitor–the Grinch. He made his entrance in a very grinchy manner. However, after his heart “grew three sizes that day,” he settled down and participated in the rest of the ceremony. He moved his hands as if directing the Christmas carols proclaiming Jesus’ birth, and he bowed his head when we prayed.
When the ceremony was over, our daughter’s children requested that their parents take pictures of the Grinch–but none was brave enough to get close enough to be in a picture with him. While they took pictures, Ray and I hurried on through the cold night toward our car.
Ahead of us, we saw the flag again.
Then we saw the firefighters begin to lower it. I was awestruck. I had never thought about how people take those giant flags down.
Again Ray and I got to witness beautiful, respectful moments. The firefighters lowered it . . .
. . . lower . . .
. . . and lower . . .
. . . and lower.
While I was capturing those moments, I noticed — in the dark night — that a family was walking into my viewfinder. I thought that maybe I shouldn’t keep taking pictures now that strangers were in them because I wanted to share them with you. Suddenly I realized that the family I was seeing in the dark was our daughter’s family. They too were entranced by the scene. They stopped and watched.
One of our young grandsons loves everything related to fire engines and firefighters. Later our daughter told me that he asked her if there were any firefighters there. She told him that these men were firefighters. He was in awe. She asked him if he would like to talk to one of them. At first he responded shyly that he didn’t. Then she watched him muster up his courage. He told her that yes he would, and he did.
To him the Grinch was still a little scary, but real firefighters? They were his heroes.
Honor all people, love the brotherhood,
fear God, honor the king.
1 Peter 2:17
I love this so much! Thank you.