Friday, because Roy was home later than usual, we didn't get our usual Friday stuff done. And we had planned to go out to dinner that evening but opted out for take out. I was still recovering from the Wednesday evening heart episode. Saturday, Roy went to Bible study and then took Sequisha in for her oil change and check up. I continued wrapping up projects that we had started during the week and then Roy finished up his part of the projects Saturday afternoon. Riveting, I know. But wait, there's more.
Dena invited Roy and I to go to dinner and then to Bethlehem. Roy declined the offer because of work he brought home from the office, but I happily accepted. We had dinner at Three Olives. It has to be one of my favorite places to eat out here in Rancho De Five. Then we drove to Bethlehem by the way of Nazareth. Well, actually, we drove to Current Christian Church to experience their Journey to Bethlehem. We opted to take the express pass for $10.00 instead of waiting over forty minutes to go for free. Our journey began in Nazareth...well, actually it began in the parking lot as we followed the star, I mean flashlights to our spot, which happened to be under a huge floodlight. Anyway, we kind of mingled around in Naz waiting for our family to be called. We were the Micah family. Our family motto: We Lika Micah. No, I just made that up. Benjamin and Hannah were our guides through the Roman soldier encampment, visiting the Magi on their way to see Herod, shepherd field, Zebedee and his sons James and John fishing....well you get the picture because we all were headed to Bethlehem to be taxed because of the decree of Caesar Augustus. They did take a little license with the journey, you know we just happened to run into the Magi and Roy says Jesus was about ten years older than James and John, but heck...you have to have some stops to be able to tell the story of our dear Savior's birth. Long lay the world...oops, ADD strikes again! They got a lot more right, than wrong and the way the angels declared Peace on Earth Goodwill To Men, was absolutely beautiful and gave just a little of the feeling of what it must have been like to those dirty, stinky shepherds abiding in their fields. Both Dena and I noticed how the beginning of the journey was in darkness... I had to bring out my trusty flashlight, I mean oil lamp app on my iPhone, so I wouldn't fall on my knees amd hear the angel voices...no it was more like the Roman soldiers would be telling me to move along and show my papers. Our program guide doubled as our travel papers. Anyway, you got a sense of what is must have been like to travel in the dark, without street lights and blue exit signs letting you know what is available off that exit, no Exxon or Shell stations or must I say it, No Cracker Barrels! Next year if you are out this way, make a stop in Bethlehem via Current Church. If you can, do the $10.00 express pass.
Now, I will tell on myself and confess, I started the journey with a cynical view...I have to fight cynicism more often than not. If I heard another person say Shalom to me, I was going to...well, I don't know what I was going to do. I thought about saying Aloha because it is a double meaning word like Shalom. Actually, I remembered a Pee Wee Herman show that used Shalom during an episode. I could hear Shalom, Pee Wee and then Pee Wee answering back in his quirky voice, Shalom. With all those years of being in Pageant, I was giving the critical eye to costumes, biblical garb. OK, one Roman soldier had on jeans, not even under his skirt...just jeans. The Lord pulled me up short with my attitude and believe me as we meandered in the dark, my attitude changed and I am so glad it did. This event is a labor of love by people in a church reaching out to their community and there was popcorn at the end.
We decided the night called for a DQ Candy Cane Blizzard and a drive around the Rancho area to look at Christmas lights.
Truthfully, I was thankful for this little journey because I missed so much on the big journey several years ago when I went to the Holy Land. It was there in Jerusalem I probably had the best Diet Coke of my life, thank you Peggy and the church of the Nativity had too many stairs to climb. I just needed Kathleen to be there walking with me like she did on that trip. I can walk a little faster now Kathleen.
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