Making New Friends & Catching Up with Old Ones

We got together with Ken & Lesley Trinkley yesterday as planned. Randy & I were a little wary of how the afternoon would go because it's always a little disconcerting to plan an afternoon with people you don't really know. What happens if we don't get along??? Well, I'm grateful to say, it was a wonderful afternoon!! We found out that we have lots of connections, other than Lesley & I having worked at the school system - actually that was the least of them! They had just recently camped at Ramblin' Pines, in June, and I had checked them in!!! Back in the late 80s, they had also rented their home to Dana & Karen Collett, our friends & pastor from Covenant Baptist Church! We spent many evenings in their home. Isn't that just too bizarre!?!?!! The four of us felt that we were truly meant to connect.

Ken & Lesley actually live in Conway, SC which is a few miles west of Myrtle Beach. They wanted to show us their town as it has a lot of history as well as a quaint ambiance. We took a walking tour through the town with Lesley as our guide. It is a lovely town, as promised! Many, many live oak trees ("live" because they stay green all year long) and lots of very old buildings and homes - many from the 1700s. Conway sits on the Waccamaw River and was once the last stop on the river for the old sidewheel steamboats coming up the river.

After our tour of Conway, we went back to Ken & Lesley's home for tea. Lesley is British and they have tea each afternoon. We sat outside on their patio and watch the sun set over the pond their house overlooks. Such a great way to end the day! We look forward to seeing them again in our travels.

Another neat thing that came up in our talking about Ken & Lesley's renting to the Colletts was the reminder that Karen now lives in Myrtle Beach! I knew that, but had forgotten it until Lesley mentioned it. We got out the phone book and Lesley encouraged me to call her from their home. I did and left a message for Karen to call when she could. She returned my call later that evening and we made plans to meet on Friday evening. Randy & I are excited to catch up with her. It has been several years since we've seen her and Katie, her daughter. Our two families were very close at one time and have many fond memories so it will be nice to reconnect.

Sometimes we forget how God is always working in our lives - at least I do. And He cares about every aspect of my life. He's working "behind the scenes" every minute. Randy & I felt this very much in our meeting Ken & Lesley and the reconnection with Karen. It's a reminder that, as believers, we have "family" everywhere we go, we just don't always know who they are. We were fortunate to meet some new family in Myrtle Beach and look forward to seeing them again.

Take time to thank God for the blessings He's given you, and I'm sure there are many. Until the next time, I hope you feel His presence . . .