A Date Night Miracle

Denise and I arrived in Tacoma for The Gathering. It had been years since I’d visited the town where so many miracles happened. After a three-day drive from Phoenix, the first order of business was finding a place to eat. Denise and I didn’t date before we got married so we have date night frequently. It’s one way we keep our marriage strong.

I searched for restaurants on my phone and decided on Ricardo’s—an Italian restaurant in Lacey. Sunny skies and temps in the seventies made for a comfortable evening outdoors so we asked for a table on the patio. We ordered drinks and began checking out the menu.

The drinks arrived as I was pointing out “The Tomahawk.” A 30-ounce ribeye for two that a friend had devoured the previous night and mentioned on his periscope broadcast.

A man got up from a nearby table and came over to ours. “Excuse me,” he said. “That’s a really good-looking drink. What’s it called?”

“It’s a margarita. They make theirs with lime juice, agave, tequila, and grapefruit juice. If you like a little tartness, it’s pretty good.”

“Thanks,” he said before returning to his table.

It’s hard for Denise to find lobster prepared the way she likes it, and let’s face it—lobster is too expensive to eat frequently. Even on date night. But the description on the menu gave her hope so she ordered it. I’m a sucker for a good ribeye and Ricardo’s dry ages theirs so I ordered one. We talked while our food was being prepared.

I glanced over at the table where the man who asked about my drink was sitting and noticed that the woman sitting next to him had an immobilizer on her hand. It seemed odd that he would randomly come to our table just to ask about my drink. I don’t believe in coincidences. It seemed more like a  Holy Spirit set-up. “Hey, baby,” I said getting up from my seat. “I’ll be right back.” I walked over to their table.

I smiled at the man who had asked about my drink. “You didn’t get the margarita.”

“Nahhh… I decided on a gin and tonic instead.”

“Not a fan of gin myself… but it looks like a nice drink.”

“It’s okay.”

I turned to the woman sitting next to him. “Hi, I couldn’t help but notice that immobilizer on your hand. “What happened?”

“I’m not sure. There’s a lot of pain at the base of my thumb whenever I grab something.”

“How’d you like to be healed?”

“Are you a healer?”

“I am.”

“Then I’d like to be healed.”

“How bad is the pain right now when you move your thumb?”

“It hurts a lot.”

“Hold your hand out for a sec.” She stretched out her hand in front of me and I placed mine about an inch from hers. “I release the power of God. I command ligaments, bones, tendons, muscles, nerves and cartilage to be healed. What do you feel?”

She moved her thumb in circles. Are you serious?”

“Is there any pain?”

“It’s better, but it still hurts a little.”

“Let me try again.” She held her hand out and I placed mine just above hers. “Spirit of pain, I command you to go. Ligaments, muscles, bones, tendons, and nerves, be healed. Check it out again.” Her eyes grew wide as she rotated her thumb in circles. “Grab onto something.” She wrapped her fingers and thumb around the arm of the chair. “It feels great!”

“Jesus is pretty cool, isn’t he?”

“He’s amazing,” she replied. I returned to my seat. Denise gave me a high five.

I don’t like paying a lot of money for a steak, mostly because I can make a better one at home than most restaurants for a fraction of the price. But when you’re on the road, you’re at the mercy of others and our meal was a business expense. The ribeye at Ricardo’s was the best I’ve ever had at a restaurant. Denise loved the lobster.

It’s been a while since we’ve seen someone healed in a restaurant. My mind has been focused on other things. But God treated us to a date night we’ll never forget. It wasn’t just a nice night on the town. It was a reminder that Jesus is willing to demonstrate his love whenever we’re willing to step out of our comfort zone.

Related:
2 For 1 Night at Chili’s