Chaplain thought of the week: The Rose Lieutenant John Blanchard was waiting to be shipped to Europe during World War II. He was at a library in Florida and found a book with beautiful handwritten notes on the margins. He discovered the previous owner’s name, Miss Hollis, and her address in New York City. He wrote her a letter, introduced himself and invited her to be his pen pal. For over a year, they wrote to each other and in time they fell in love. Blanchard requested a photo but she refused. She said if she really loved her, it wouldn’t matter what she looked like. When the day came for him to return from Europe, they scheduled their first meeting – 7 pm at Grand Central station in New York City. She said you’ll recognize me by the red rose I’ll be wearing on my lapel.” At 7 pm, a beautiful girl with gentle blue eyes in green suit was walking toward him. He made one step closer to her but she walked quickly away. And then she saw a woman past 50, with graying hair tucked under a worn hat directly behind the girl. The lieutenant, though choked by the bitterness of his disappointment, did not hesitate…squared his shoulders, and thought to himself, this might not be love, but it would be something precious, perhaps something more than love, a friendship that will last a lifetime. “You must be Miss Hollis? I am so glad we could meet? May I take you to dinner? The woman smiled. “I don’t know what this is about, son, but the lady in green suit that walked passed you begged me to wear this rose. She said if you were to ask me out to dinner, I should go and tell you that she is waiting for you in the big restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of test.” There are opportunities and blessings that may be disguised as challenges and even disappointments. If John Blanchard walked away, he would have missed the love of his life. By the same token, if we walk away from the challenges, trials and difficulties that come our way, who knows what great and beautiful things we may have missed?
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