Steak and "Seafood"

I just turned thirty-one years old.  It was painless.  But it still hurt.

I wanted the big Three-Oh to be the year I became a mother, or at least the year Ross got where he wanted to be at work.  I'm trying to take the good and the bad together; it's the year when I lost two of my three babies to miscarriage, got laid off work, and got stranded in West Virginia with an exploded radiator (the Neon has since recovered, thank you).  However, it's also the year that my little sis got married and I got to see my mom after almost three years!  It's the year that we adopted our adorable little Loki.  It's also the year an old friend reached out and sent us an unexpected blessing...

My pastor's parents, Fred and Diane, recently returned from a trip out east and couldn't stop talking about Jonah, the current production at Sight and Sound Theatre in Lancaster, PA.  After entertaining the idea that maybe Ross could use some vacation days and I could take advantage of my unexpected time off, I contacted my old fellow Clarionite Amy Bowers, who runs props for the show.  I asked if she had any suggestions as to where we should stay or shop while we were in her neck of the woods.  To my surpise, she offered us tickets and a backstage pass to see the show!  I literally cried when I read her message.  What a blessing after so many defeats!

Not one to settle for a show without a good meal, Ross spent $65 for a $100 gift card (yes, really) for Fogo de Chao - the Brazilian steahouse chain we first enjoyed on our honeymoon.  There was one located in Philadelphia, about an hour's drive from where we were planning on staying.  Another blessing: Ross's parents, concerned that my newly repaired car might not make the five-hour journey, lent us their Nissan.  We drove in comfort and style.  Alas, the car didn't have our Wyoming bumper sticker to make us even cooler, but that's okay.

Our dinner was wonderful - my favorite meat was the lamb chop, while Ross liked the filet wrapped in (what else?) bacon.  The servers were incredibly attentive and knowledgable, and they surprised me with a complimentary birthday dessert - vanilla bean and papaya sorbet.  Yum!  Apparently, Ross had informed them I was the birthday girl when I was in the restroom.  Enjoying a sweet treat was way better than having suffer through an off-key and half-hearted rendition of "Happy Birthday".

We stayed at a charming bed and breakfast in a tiny town called Bird-In-Hand (remember, we were in Amish country!)  The owners were pleasant and good-natured and their kids were too cute (breakfast was being served as their dad was walking them to the us stop).  We agreed that we would go back...even though I didn't get any sleep.  Apparently there was a mouse in the walls - and he had invited all his mousy friends for a dance party that lasted all night long.

The show itself, which we saw that afternoon, was pretty spectacular.  Although the book and lyrics were a little trite, the performance itself was beautiful, heartfelt, and moving.  The actors were all quite talented and I loved the costumes.  My favorites were the 300-inspired armor of the Ninevites - one of the actors was in what appeared to be six-inch platforms to make him more imposing!  Pastor Mark calls Sight & Sound the "Christian Broadway" and he's right.  The sets were breathtaking and yes - there was a whale, and yes - it was enormous.  The scriptwriters were bold in talking about faith - God is revealed as Jesus as the play ends, and an entreaty is made that unbelievers give Him a try.  There wasn't a lot of complicated dancing in the show, but it was so evident during the chorus numbers that the actors were genuinely worshiping God - not performing.  That gave me chills.

Seeing Amy again was the real treat, though.  I had worked with her in the costume shop in college and remembered two things in particular about her: she was one of the most sensible people I'd ever met, and I loved her perfume (Coco by Chanel).  Facebook being what it is, it was pretty easy to see that, since graduation, Amy had grown closer and closer to the Lord.  She posted pictures of mission trips.  Unlike many of our peers, her status updates were about joy, and excitement about God's plans for her.  Reading them began to give me hope about my future again, too.  Although I hadn't completely abandoned the idea that God had good in store for me, our recent trials had severely tested that belief.  Wondering if we were making any type of positive impact on the youth group...dealing with sorrow and pain over our lost children...unable to comprehend how losing my job fit into the Big Picture...these all weighed heavily on me.  But seeing someone I admired literally blossom with Christ's love restored my hope.   Although we don't keep in contact so much (after all, four hours is quite a drive for coffee and a chat), I am grateful not only for her generosity in providing me with a pretty sweet birthday gift, but that she is faithful in chasing after the Lord.  And it's my prayer that He does reward her with all the desires of her heart, whatever they may be.

Didn't hurt that we got to see her awesomely cute mom, too...even if she did remember what I looked like in Peter Pan!  :-/