Thirty-Fine

Birthdays have always been a big deal to me.  Every year when I was a kid, I would let my mom know in advance exactly the type of party that I wanted.  Just a consummate planner from an early age.  I was particularly interested in the milestone birthday years.  I have not ever quite let go of that tradition.  When thirty-five was fast approaching, I decided to celebrate my entrance into my mid-30’s with a weekend trip.

Other folks might have called their closest girlfriends to get the party started.  Not this gal.  I sent out an e-mail inviting my family to travel with me to Branson to celebrate in grand fashion.  Although I am an avid traveler, I wanted a celebration that was closer to home.  Part of the celebration was going to the Sight & Sound Theater to see the play “Samson.”  I love musical theatre.  Throw in some Jesus and some live animals, and you have a party just waiting to happen.

Before the play began, they made a disclaimer that they took some poetic license with the scripture to help the play flow.  Okay cool.  It is a dramatization.  The play started and I was transported back to the Old Testament.  But as the play continued, I was flabbergasted.  I knew about Delilah cutting Sampson’s hair.  But I did not know his back story.  I thought the screenplay writers took their poetic license too far.  I was not the only one who thought that. 

We discussed the play as we were exiting the theater.  Many of us were in agreement that they really used their imagination to push the story along.  And then on the way to dinner, I read Sampson’s story for myself and…the parts that seemed too far fetched for me were right there in black and white.  Oh dear. 

Anytime I get tired of being a devoted student of the Bible, this experience pops up in my head.  I have to move beyond the cute Sunday school stories and really dig deep into the word.  Honestly, reading Samson’s story sparked my interest in re-reading familiar Bible stories with fresh eyes.

My birthday weekend continued after the play.  We painted paintings.  I had tea in a tea house.  Mexican food that was out of this world.  Game nights with my silly cousins.  Catfish that was so good that I wanted to slap Bible Study Mama (but I did not….I’m not crazy).  Putt-putt golf to seal the deal.  And yet the tug to see Biblical stories with fresh eyes still remains to this day.  I suppose it was a thirty-fine trip.  #wepreach