The Gift of Georgia

“Every good and perfect gift is from above.” – James 1:17

Today is Miss Georgia’s 78th birthday. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Georgia’s story, she’s a precious lady the Lord brought into my life a little more than a year ago. If you want to get to know her a little bit, I’ve written about her on my blog (see my Devotions page for the series, “Her Name is Georgia”).

Last night I shared with a friend how I met Georgia. It was a bitterly cold December afternoon, and I saw her walking down the street, trying to shield herself from the wind. She looked miserable, so I pulled the car over and offered her a ride. Little did I know that when she got into my car that day, she also made her way into my heart.

Long story short, Georgia is now an extended member of our family, and I am her legal guardian. Each Friday, I take her shopping, and, let me tell you, Georgia loves to shop! She especially likes Walgreens because the employees there know her by name. When she walks in, they call out, “Well, hello, Miss Georgia!” and that makes her feel special.

Georgia is a true gift from God, and tonight, we will celebrate her big day with a party!

My first thought when I saw Georgia walking was to keep driving. I’m not proud of that fact, but it’s true. I was headed home and didn’t want to be inconvenienced. However, the prompting (and conviction) of the Holy Spirit was so strong that I couldn’t ignore Him. God was inviting me to lay aside my selfishness and help someone in need. I’m thankful I did.

My prayer today is that your eyes will be open and your heart will be willing to receive whatever gift the Lord may have for you. Perhaps there is a Georgia He wants to bring into your life, someone who is waiting to be seen, longing to be known, and aching to be loved. When God asks you to step out in faith, just say, “Yes.” You’ll never regret it.