GOD'S ADVENTURE FOR ME IN CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA - PART 1

Greetings -

THIS IS PART 1 - PART 2 WAS POSTED ON MONDAY JANUARY 17, 2011 

This is to share a bit about my adventure in Charleston, South Carolina in route to Tampa, Florida where I lived for six months.  These events happened about four years ago.  I have never fully understood some spiritual aspects of what transpired.  I seek help from other Christians as to what “meaneth this” (The Acts 2:12.)   I sincerely appreciate any insights that you are inclined to share, please.

Some may question my actions.  I am ENTIRELY certain that what I did was led of our Lord.  The Lord had me in a place of maturity in Him where I was prepared for the adventure(s).  Prepared does NOT always mean that there are no elements of “surprise.”  When the surprises surfaced, I was in a spiritual place to be unshaken by the challenges.

After I got my “pink slip” bonus after working in the D.C. Government for more than five years, and after mourning the shock, the Lord spoke to me, and told me to move to Tampa, FL for one “specific” reason.

I didn’t know anyone in Tampa – or so I thought.  Well, after some weeks, the “specific” reason somewhat evaporated.

A bit later, the Lord told me to “instead” go to South Carolina.  I didn’t know anyone there either, had never been there nor did I know much of anything about South Carolina.  I got on the phone and called Greyhound Bus Lines.  The Lord instructed me to ask the dispatcher to name some cities in South Carolina.  She did so and when she said, “Charleston,” the Lord informed me that that is where I needed to go.

So off I headed to Charleston, S.C.  As I sat in the bus station in D.C., reading my Bible, a Christian man came to me and began to engage me.  We talked a bit about the Lord and His Word.  The man slipped $20.00 into my hand, and gave me his card.  The engagement with the man made me feel more assurance from our Lord.

Later during a layover at another bus station, I met a Sunday school teacher.  She and I chatted briefly.  She was gracious to watch my bags while I went to the rest room, and I did the same for her.

It was dark when I arrived in Charleston.  Before I got there, I thought that it was a city somewhat smaller than D.C.  I got off the bus, and the area was remote with very minimal activity and a few buildings.  To say that I was surprised is an understatement.  My expression to the Lord was something like, “Now what, Lord?!”  I noticed a young man standing at a local bus stop.  I inquired of him about a motel.  He pointed yards away and there was a small motel right opposite the Greyhound bus station.  I thanked the young man and headed to the motel.  I learned that the desk clerk was a Christian.  We conversed briefly.  I had some savings, and sensed that I could use funds for about a
week-long stay at the subject motel.  A job hunt was priority, of course.

Once in the room, one of the first things that the Lord told me to do was to look in the Yellow Pages to find a church to attend.  He led me to the right church and the following morning, I phoned there.  They had a pick-up service so I made the arrangements to be picked up Sunday.  I had arrived in Charleston Friday night.

I was, for the first time in my life, living by faith on a whole different level!  Jobless, homeless, parents deceased, very small family circle that, for the most part, is not close, in a strange place where I knew no one…this was a doozy – for sure!  Before this episode in life, I had been gainfully employed since I was 17 years old (now 54) with about two short bouts of unemployment.  For years, I valued my financial independence, and was known for very rarely asking others for anything.  Being jobless, and being financially unstable at this sort of level was completely foreign to me.  But GOD…

It gets stranger – this new faith walk.  Bear with me because some recollection is fuzzy relative to time frame days, and times of day, but I DO remember the events quite well.  Later on the night of my arrival in Charleston, the Lord told me to go to the bus station.  The Greyhound station in Charleston is quite small in comparison to the one in D.C.  Also, the one in D.C. is open 24 hours.  The station in Charleston closes and reopens in the mornings.  I obeyed the Lord and walked over to the Greyhound station and there was a young man there who was standing outside the station waiting for entry the next morning.  He was reading a Bible. I engaged him.  He was receptive.  He informed me that he had come to Charleston for a job opportunity that had left him disillusioned so he decided to head back home.  He was seeking more spiritual help and our Lord led me to minister to him.  He was encouraged, as was I.

The more that I looked around the remote area of where the Lord had led me, I was puzzled.  Also, being from D.C. and now being remotely located was a concern, however, I did not complain but told our Lord that I was there to do His will, and if He decided that Charleston was my place – so it would be.  I trusted the Lord, in spite of my questions.

The next day, Saturday, the Lord spoke to me to go to the Greyhound station.  This was about late afternoon, I believe.  This time, I hesitated and said something to the Lord like, “I don’t have anything to go to the Greyhound station for,” and I began to do something else.  Immediately I heard the Lord speak to me in urgency to tell me to go to the Greyhound station.  Instantly, I moved to obey.  I got outside and saw this man sitting on a bench in front of the local bus stop which was yards from the station.  The Lord told me to go to the man.  The man (I’ll call him Jesse) and I were so receptive to each other that it was a sure solid spiritual flow when we conversed!  To this day, I cannot express in clarity what happened in the spirit realm with me and Jesse.  I don’t understand fully, and have told others about it and have not yet received explanations that I understand.

It gets stranger.  Jesse and I sat on that bench and talked for about an hour.  He informed me that he was waiting for the Greyhound to open the next morning, as he had plans to go to D.C.  This was about, I believe, 9:00 at night. The station would not reopen until the following morning.  I asked Jesse if he planned to wait there until the next morning.  He responded yes.  I believed that Jesse was in a “homeless” state.  As I sat there with him, he told me spiritual things about me that the Lord had previously told me.  Jesse gave me confirmations of what the Lord had shared.  Also, he was full of the Word of GOD.  He said that he was a military vet.  I asked him his military specialty.  He responded, “intelligence.”  I was stunned about this stranger that the Lord had sent me to “meet.”  Jesse and I were in intense communication engagement.  I had never experienced such.

At a point, the Lord told me to invite Jesse to my motel room to stay overnight.  I know to some people that sounds foolish, but I am ABSOLUTELY sure that the Lord told me to invite Jesse.  In fact, when the Lord spoke it to me – with His instruction – I felt a covering of peace that I have only experienced in similar manner one other time in my life with our Lord.  I believe that this is verbatim what the Lord spoke to me, “Invite him to stay in the room with you, he will not harm you.”  I felt entirely confident to invite Jesse – I did and he accepted.  I have NEVER invited a strange man to stay overnight with me – even as a non-Christian.  I have NEVER been asked by our Lord to do it again.  And I certainly do NOT recommend that others do it unless ABSOLUTELY sure that it is the Lord who guides in such a way.

Jesse came with me.  The room only had one bed.  I gave Jesse covers and a pillow to make a sleep spot on the floor.  We conversed briefly, watched a bit of T.V., and retired for the night.  Not once did I have any manner of anxiety.  Jesse said or did NOTHING even remotely representative of being flirtatious.  The next morning, before Jesse was due to catch the bus to D.C., the Lord told me to treat Jesse to breakfast at the diner a few blocks away.

When Jesse and I walked into the diner, there was a man, who appeared to be Hispanic or Native American, seated on a stool near the front door.  He nodded at Jesse (I believe they had some sort of previous acquaintance).  As I observed that simple nod from the man, I hesitated because I felt a strong desire to engage him.  But the Lord told me to move on.  Jesse and I sat at a booth and ate.  When we got to the front to leave, the man was gone.

To be continued…

Sandra

Written Thursday January 13, 2011