Fireworks and Fountains

On Monday a group of girlfriends met at Bonefish Grill to celebrate the 50^th birthday of a dear co-worker.

Unfortunately, when we called for the dinner reservation, the only seating was on the outdoor patio.

Have you ever been in Orlando in the summer?  Do you like hot and muggy weather?

We expected a miserable time without air conditioning, but God had other ideas.  He turned the circumstances into a memorable event.

While driving to the restaurant, I kept a weather-eye on an approaching storm.  The clouds were dark with occasional flashes of lightning.  But we all made it into the place without getting wet.

Shortly after we were seated, the clouds broke open and the rain poured – hard.  The patio had a plastic curtain hanging down to the top of a railing, but splashes intruded through the open bars below.  One of the ladies sitting on the weather side broke out her umbrella, as we laughingly coped with the issue.  Some were nervous about the umbrella and metal roofing and rails.  After all, Florida is the lightning capital of the USA

Our waiter got an extension pole to lower the curtain which protected us from getting wet, but we could barely hear conversation over the pounding rain on the metal roofing.

On the bright side, the waterworks from the storm drastically cooled off the oppressive heat to a comfortable setting.  We had fun watching the display of frequent flashes.  God provided a heavenly fireworks display with an accompanying fountain of rain.  Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”  And He shared it with us.

What a memorable 50^th birthday!  We overcame the challenges of the surroundings, had a good laugh, great food and an enjoyable time together.  Thank you, Lord.