On March 20, 2020, Susan and I made a 4 hour trip to get our grandson Cliatt for a visit. First I planned to get our boat ready to use the next day. But problems kept getting in the way and before I could finish, it was time to leave. Prepping the boat would have to wait.

That evening we returned with Cliatt, who was excited about boating on the lake.¹ Later we were joined by our daughter Adrienne, son-in-law Josh, and their baby James. We had a house full of family. But it was too late to do anything to the boat. All of that would have to wait.

The next morning Josh and I set to work. After its winter storage, the boat needed a good wash and wax, and the engine required servicing. It didn’t take long to know we would not be done before mid-afternoon. My plans changed again. Our family boat ride would have to wait.

Delays are often how God directs our path.

 

Just after 1:00 we were still working. I was ready to get on the lake. My family was ready. Cliatt was way past ready. And then a boat pulled up to our dock. Susan’s sister and her friends had come for a visit. It was good to see them, but…another delay and more waiting.

Our work on the boat finally ended as the day approached evening. Susan stayed home with the baby but the rest of us were more determined than ever to get in one good run. I planned to go up the lake to the I-20 bridge²…1 hour round trip. Easy. What could go wrong?

We made it to the bridge in good time. I was about to turn toward home when Cliatt begged to “go fast” farther on. Why not? It was only about 6:00 pm, plenty of time before sunset. I eased past the bridge and opened it up. We would go another 15 minutes, then head home.

Trust the Lord to take you where you need to be.

So what does any of this have to do with A Note of Encouragement? A lot actually. We often see life as a mixture of human plans and events. But God is very involved in directing our lives, and He has a purpose for all the delays and changes in our plans.

Proverbs says to trust God above all else and if we acknowledge Him in all we do, He will direct our steps to where He wants us to be.³ He did that with us. God wanted us to be on that lake at that particular time. He had a purpose we could never have imagined.

Passing the bridge on our way back, I saw 2 jet skis about 100 feet apart. I could also make out people nearby in the water. They seemed to be struggling to get out of the water. Adrienne called out, Do you need any help? Immediately a man screamed, Yes!

Fred

 

Next Week…Part 2. The Rescue

 

Fred Paradise is a retired engineer, full-time Big Daddy, and part-time drone pilot. He and Susan have two daughters, two sons-in-law, one son, and “two of the cutest grandsons you’ll ever see.” They live on Lake Oconee in Greensboro, Georgia.

 

Footnotes: (1) Lake Oconee is a reservoir in central Georgia, USA, on the Oconee River, near the cities of Greensboro, Madison and Eatonton. Spanning 29.77 sq. miles (77.10 sq. km), the lake has a maximum depth of 225 ft. (68.58 m) and a shoreline of 376 miles (605 km). (2) I-20 is a major east-west Interstate Highway in the Southern USA, extending 1,539 miles (2,477 km) from Kent, Texas to Florence, South Carolina. (3) Read Proverbs 3:5-6.

Pictures: Banner Photo: Fred & Susan Paradise, Cliatt Paradise, Josh, Adrienne, and Baby James Crosslin, courtesy of Susan Paradise; 1st Photo: Lake Oconee from the Paradise home, by Susan Paradise. 2nd Photo: Fred Paradise, courtesy of Susan Paradise;