GEORGIA, DIVINE INTERVENTION, AND THE GIFT OF FRIENDSHIP

Divine Intervention

Sometimes you end up in places for no obvious reason, but sometimes it is Divine Intervention. God has a way of directing our steps, creating intentional paths that we follow, even when we don’t have a clue it’s all part of His plan. Georgia was one of those times…Divine Intervention.

Georgia was a different sort of job.

Georgia was a different type of job than what we usually take. The pay was much lower than the usual jobs hubby takes, and there was no per diem. For any of you that work construction and travel, you understand how important per diem is in covering your expenses.

At any rate, we landed in the middle of nowhere Georgia, and when I say “nowhere” I mean, no beach, no mountains, no really spectacular tourist attractions. Don’t get me wrong, there ARE times when taking a “less than desirable” job does happen. Like, say for instance…Ok, well never mind, I can’t think of a time right now. None-the-less, how we ended up in Georgia, was beyond reason, beyond our reason. But as always, God’s plans are better than our plans.

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD.

And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.

For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so my ways are higher than your ways

and my thoughts higher than your thoughts…. Isai ah 55:8-9

So there we were in Waynesboro, Georgia,

So there we were, in Waynesboro Georgia,  and we were content.  The job was not so bad, the work was easy enough, weekends off, and the campground was only a few miles from the job site. The job he would be working on was a grand scale project, that would take several years to complete. Plant Vogtle was a huge job, with enormous cranes, and hubby found it interesting. It was even possible that this job would last us to retirement, an idea that we found extremely appealing.

Where there is a River, there is a fish

We were just a few miles from the Savannah River.  Rivers have fish, and fish mean (almost) free entertainment for Ted.

I can’t think of anything my husband enjoys on his “off” time more than fishing. That’s not including the grandbabies of course! We were close enough that he could fish any day of the week he wanted, and every weekend.

New towns mean new libraries to conquer

As I always do, I found a library. Libraries are always on my bucket list of places to explore, especially in the south. It seems like everywhere we travel, I know of an ancestor that could use further study, and Georgia is the earliest location known of one of my 3X great-grandfathers. Being the seasoned genealogist that I am, the most natural thing for me to do was to visit the genealogy department at the Burke County Library.

The librarian was a lovely lady, full of the usual Southern hospitality and charm. She gave me a tour of the library and ended her tour with a list of programs that would be going on this summer, one of which was a free computer class. Every Tuesday a class would be offered that would teach the ins and outs of Microsoft Office and all of the programs included in that software package! She assured me I would fit right in, as the class consisted of mostly older ladies getting together to learn how to do the basics in the software. Considering my new endeavor to become a blogger, I made plans to attend the class the next day.

The first day of computer class

The first day of class I took a seat at the desk next to the only other student in the room. She had been a regular attendee of the classes and she helped me find my way to the proper sites online.  A few others trickled in and I became aware that the “mostly older ladies” that the librarian mentioned, really meant that I would be the oldest of the “older ladies”.

The classes had been going on for some time, so I needed a bit of help to catch up. The lady sitting beside me made sure I was on track and getting it.  She introduced herself, LeAnn. Later, I looked up the meaning of her name, “the girl by the woods, full of grace” hmm, I like that and  I liked her, and was excited to have met another female to human with!0

Living on the road I get lonely for girl company.

Sometimes living on the road with hubby means being a tad bit lonely for girl company, so it was quite a treat to meet LeAnn. We soon discovered that our husbands worked for the same company at Plant Vogtle. She and her husband were staying at a campground closer to the job, that had more shade. It was getting pretty hot in Georgia, so it didn’t take us long to look for a campground with shade trees. A couple of weeks later we joined them at the new campground and wouldn’t you know it, the owner had us set up right next to LeAnn and her husband!

I had found a friend!

It didn’t take long for me to figure out that I had found a friend, a Christian friend. We connected instantly and enjoyed doing a lot of the same things.

She and I spent nearly every day doing the usual girl things, like drinking fancy coffee, crafting, and shopping. Every Tuesday was “our” day, (much like every day), except on Tuesdays we had computer class, then lunch usually at our favorite Mexican place. After lunch, we had to make a stop at the Amish Bakery for the most delicious loaves of cinnamon bread,  before heading on to Wal-Mart for our weekly groceries.

In this world, we meet a lot of people along the way, but this friendship was special, one that will last a lifetime. I call it Grace, friendship, what a beautiful gift.

God Knows Our Needs

God knows our needs before we do. Our Father is busy working to provide for us, even before we know we have a need.

We all go through seasons of life that leave us overwhelmed, tired and depressed. I was living that season. Our family had faced several major tragedies last spring. A niece was shot and left paralyzed from the waist down, we had 2 major car accidents that resulted in serious injuries to two family members, and my mom had suffered from several strokes.

I was exhausted from two long trips home and was suffering from an extended autoimmune flare up. By the time the crises were winding down, I was fatigued, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Depression was trying to rear its ugly head and getting out of bed was a chore.

But God ALWAYS knows what we need

God always knows what we need, before we ask, or even know we have a need. He is busy working all things out for our good.  Before we knew how Spring would unfold, God had directed our paths and put us at the right place at the right time for what we were going to need, for what Sylvia was going to need.

My new friend was just waiting for me to arrive so she could be the angel friend I needed to pull me up and get me going again. She was an encourager, a confidante, and she understood. It seemed like we had known each other for years. She was truly a Godsend, and she did her job well. We laughed and painted until the depression lifted and she was addicted to painting.

Her friendship nourished me spiritually and I thank you, God, for allowing our paths to cross. Thank you for sending LeAnn. And thank you LeAnn for being such a great friend.

Georgia ended up being a great place to visit

Georgia ended up being a great place to visit and we enjoyed our time there. LeAnn’s husband was a fisherman too, and he and Ted had a great time fishing together.

The dogwood trees were blooming in Georgia, and they decorated the timber with layers of beautiful white flowers. What a blessing to be in the South during dogwood season.

We also visited Magnolia State Park, famous for its mineral springs. It was a beautiful park, and we hiked through the timber, that led to the spring that was spectacular. My Yankee husband got up close and personal with an alligator, you can click here to read more about that story!

We knew God had sent us there.

At the end of the day, or maybe I should say, by the end of our stay in Georgia, we knew God had sent us there. It was Divine Intervention.

For Ted, Georgia was not just another job, it was slower paced, and he was able to slow down a little and rest. He thoroughly enjoyed his catch and release fishing.

For me, I know God planted us in Georgia so I could meet LeAnn, my angel, that God had waiting for me because He knew I was going to need a friend.

His ways are higher than our ways…..Thank you, Heavenly Father, for Georgia. And thank you for Divine Intervention.

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