A Snowy Georgia Day

It was a pretty unusual day for Georgia. The snow that had fallen the previous day had refused to melt, paralyzing the city of Augusta and most of the South East. 

Tuesday, 1/11/11 would be a second gratuitous snow day off from work that winter. During my prayer time, I debated whether I should try to brave the icy roads to AT&T. I prayed, “Lord, show me what You want me to do.  I give You today.” Two minutes later I got a text message from my supervisor Gwen, “Good morning team. As of right now, I can’t get out of the driveway and therefore I’m unable to get to work. Please let me know if you are reporting out. For those of you who attempt to make it, please be careful.” 

I took it as a sign from the Lord. I immediately replied that I would not be able to make it to work, for the roads were too perilous. After topping up my mug of coffee, I snuggled into a rocking chair with a good book. 

A call… to action.

I read for about 20 minutes before the phone rang. It was Bob Garrett, our community’s overall coordinator. “Hey, Nathan, do you think you could drive to Charlotte today? Kevin and Karen are stranded at the airport and we need someone to go pick them up.” 

I was a little bit stunned. Silence filled the line until Bob asked if I was ok. I responded that I was fine. I asked the Lord if I should drive to Charlotte, and He said, “Yes”. Apparently, He did not think the roads were too perilous. I told Bob that I could do it. We arranged that I would take his minivan as soon as I grabbed a shower. I was a bit befuddled that here I was, about to drive 6 hours on a day that I thought too dangerous to drive to work. 

God had a plan and I figured I might as well go along with it. I wasn’t going to get paid for the day off anyway, so why not. After dressing, I ran over to Bob’s house, where he was waiting with car keys and a credit card. 

I slowly pulled out of the driveway, then cautiously made my way through the snowy streets to the highway. Once I reached the highway, I found that the roads were pretty clear because of the constant traffic. I started a rosary and the miles began falling behind me. 

Out on the highway.

I got to about 20 miles this side of Columbia, South Carolina when the coffee that had started my day began demanding immediate attention. I resolved to take the next exit to remedy the situation. When I got to the next exit, I. . . drove right past it. The thought that went through my head was, “Well there it goes.  Hmm.” The next exit was a few miles down the road, so I continued to the next pit stop. 

After taking care of the coffee, I walked back out to fill up the minivan and continue my journey. As I approached my van, a middle-aged white man approached me and asked me where I was going. I told him that Charlotte was my destination. He explained that his car had slid off the road and asked if I would give him a ride a few exits up to a gas station where he could meet some friends. I asked God if I should give this guy a ride, and He said, “Yes.”  I told the fellow sure. 

While filling up the tank I prayed for protection. I told God that I didn’t think that He’d sent me off in a borrowed mini-van on a snow day to get murdered. The fellow and I loaded into the van and we took off. He introduced himself as Gordon and asked what I was doing driving on a snowy day. 

I explained that I was a part of an ecumenical charismatic covenant Christian community and that I was driving to Charlotte to pick up one of our elders and his wife. That started a discussion about Jesus. Gordon told me that he grew up in a Pentecostal Church. He always used to pick up strangers until a person he picked up assaulted him and stole his car.  

I did not find this comforting. I mentioned that I had once been an atheist, but that the Lord in His mercy had corrected my error. He asked me what had changed my mind because he had come to the point where he had pretty much lost all faith himself. I shared my testimony about how God had lifted me out of the crumbling ashes of my nervous breakdown and set me on a completely new path. My tale amazed him. 

A prayerful farewell.

We neared his exit, and I told him that I felt like the Lord wanted me to pray for him, and since he was raised in a Pentecostal Church, he should be familiar with Praying in Tongues. He responded, “Well, not that Pentecostal.”  “Don’t worry, Gordon, I’ve got you covered,” I said, before beginning to pray for him. I wrapped up the prayer as we were driving up the exit. 

“You know,” commented Gordon, “my mom always said that I’m supposed to be a preacher.” I thought a moment before responding, “Gordon, if God has a call on your life, you’ll never be happy doing anything else. God Bless you.” I stopped in the gas station parking lot, let him out then drove immediately back out onto the highway. 

I marveled at God’s goodness for the rest of the trip to Charlotte. I know that I was an answer to someone’s prayer that day. Maybe it was Gordon’s, maybe his mother or grandmother. I’ll never know this side of heaven. 

Docility to the Holy Spirit.

My readers today might notice that I wrote most of this post a long time ago. If you take today’s date (2/22/22) and divide it by two, you get the the date of the original occurrence. A funny coincidence. Or is it?

After more than a decade of walking in the Holy Spirit, I recognize that many a so-called coincidence is really a divine appointment. On January 11, 2011, God wanted to tell Gordon just how much He loved him. I got to be the person who delivered that message. And on February 22, 2022, God wanted me to share this story one more time.

Docility to the Holy Spirit consists mostly of two things. The first requirement is listening to the Holy Spirit. I have to hear what God wants to say and wants me to do. This means I need to spend time in prayer, not just talking to God, but listening.

The second requirement is obedience. If I had decided that my coffee, my book, and the snow outside gave me sufficient excuse to tell Bob “no”, I would have missed the appointment. God respects our freedom. He doesn’t force us to obey. He allows us to miss out on the blessing if we refuse.

But He gives us these little moments, opportunities to see how fruitful docility can be. It’s one of the most beautiful things about seeking first His Kingdom. You never have any idea what is going to happen, or how God is going to bless you and others through you. But His purpose is so good. 

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To read more about my conversion, check out Demoniac, now available on Amazon.