I took my kids to the pool this weekend. I pulled into the parking lot and immediately noticed that it was insanely busy. I am apprehensive about going to the pool to begin with. First, anyone can guess that wearing a bathing suit in front of a hundred other individuals is going to make me nervous. Bathing suit season also draws on some trauma memories.
I had gotten myself dressed, the kids ready, and packed everything we needed for a day of fun. We walked into the pool area and I noticed that there were really no available seats. My kids wanted to run straight toward the pool and did not really care that we did not have a seat. I had to beg them to wait for me to find a seat before they could get in. I found a seat that did not have anything around it so I made my way toward it and put our stuff down. I heard a voice from behind me say, “THIS SEAT IT TAKEN.”
I turned around toward the voice and noticed it was from a woman in my ‘peer group.” I paused because I was wondering if she was really serious. I know that women hold strong to peer groups and it is very hard to fit in as a woman in a new city but we are really saving seats at the pool now? I started to pick up my towel to walk away but then I turned and looked at my daughter. I remembered the times she had come home from school telling me that girl X and Y would not play with her on the playground. I would wipe tears from her eyes and reassure her. I would tell her that God loved her and the friends that loved her regardless of the seats on the playground were the ones she really needed to play with. I am not sure why people hold so tightly to peer groups and refuse to let a new member in. I glance at pictures people post on social media that proudly post “cookie social- 10 years and going”. This post should really say- this is a cookie social and new members to the church are not welcome.
I would challenge people to pick up the towel and welcome a new person to sit. Jesus wants us to welcome all.
After turning to my daughter and being reminded of her tears, I looked back at my “peer” and said we would really like to sit down. The three of us can share the one seat. She looked at me and said it is good to see you. It was the typical welcome that someone gives you when they are pretending to be your friend. We exchanged small talk for a minute. Afterward I watched her and a few other women talk and laugh and enjoy the company of each other as I played with my children by myself.
This seat is indeed saved.
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