Another God Moment

   Tom Kirby’s death this week caught all of us unprepared. We did not even suspect that he would die so suddenly. I was in Orlando, Florida at Sea World, when I received the message. It was Wednesday afternoon and it was Wednesday evening before I could speak with Dona. The boys were all involved in camp at Sea World. They wouldn’t be done until about 3:00 p.m. on Friday. I knew that my participation in the service would be next to impossible. When I spoke with Dona on Wednesday night. I learned the arrangements. She would be contacting Don Nation, a former pastor and current District Superintendent. I knew that the service would be well done and thought out. Yet I still felt like I needed to be there. The logistics, however, just were not on my side. To get back into Bluefield by 11:00 a.m. on Saturday morning would mean an all night drive. After a week a Sea World, I just didn’t think that would be possible.

God, however, had another plan in mind.

We left Sea World around 3:00 p.m. and began our 750 mile journey. Our goal was to stop in Hardeeville, South Carolina around 9:00 p.m. We got into Hardeeville right on time. We checked into our room. We found signs that we were not alone in the room. Rodent droppings were on the floor. We went to the front desk and were given another room. This one had dead cockroaches in the cabinets. We politely checked out and decided to drive another 3 hours to Columbia, South Carolina. En-route, I got on the phone and began calling motels in the Columbia area. They were all booked. On Saturday, there was a graduation ceremony at Fort Jackson and the rooms were full of military families. So we decided to press on to Charlotte. Once we got to Charlotte, we realized we were only about three hours from home. So, we continued pressing onward. Eventually, we arrived home to our own beds at 4:30 a.m. I had time for some rest and got up and went to the funeral and participated in the service.

  To me, all of these minor motel problems were a God moment. I think that God kept moving us up the road so that I could be here for the funeral. What do you think?