(This post is a continuation of Her Name is Georgia, Parts 1-5. Please read the previous posts first if you haven’t already.)
“If anyone…sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
– 1 John 3:17-18
Normally on Thursday mornings, I attend Moms in Touch, which is a group of mothers who meet to pray for students, teachers, and faculty at their child’s school. However, two weeks ago, my throat felt as if it was on fire, so I decided not to go. After I dropped Isabelle off at school, my youngest daughter, Jocelyn, asked, “Mommy, can we stop by Miss Georgia’s?” I said, “No, honey. Not today. Mommy doesn’t feel well.”
Neither one of us said anything for a few minutes. We listened to Christmas music on the radio as I drove home. However, a distinct voice interrupted my thoughts, the same one I’d heard the first day I saw Georgia walking in the cold: “You should stop.” Soon I found myself driving toward her street.
Georgia was thrilled to see us. She was wearing her coat, so I asked if she was getting ready to go for a walk. She shook her head no, and told me that her heat had gone off at about midnight and never kicked back on. Her thermostat read 62 degrees.
I tried to fix the heater myself, and even called the customer service number on the panel for help, but I couldn’t get it to reset. I assured Georgia that I’d have my husband stop by after work to take a look. Thankful, she said, “You always come by when I need you!”
That afternoon, all four of us went to Georgia’s. My husband figured out what the problem was right away, and within a few minutes, warm air filled her house again. After we returned home, I commented to Justin, “What if I hadn’t stopped by today? Who knows how long she would have gone without heat.” I shuddered at the thought.
The Lord used a sore throat, along with a simple request from my daughter, to put me in the right place at the right time to accomplish His purposes. Had I not been sick that morning, I would have been at the prayer group instead of at Georgia’s house. I also would have missed an opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus to someone in need.