Digging Deeper: Right Place, Right Time
11 So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.
Acts 16:11-15 (ESV)
RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME
When I was a kid, we would take our summer vacations at the Outer Banks in North Carolina. Home to the Wright Brothers’ first flight and plenty of beautiful lighthouses, I think back with great affection on the summer days I spent there. This was long before a substandard Netflix show popularized the area.
My hometown of Virginia Beach is only about two hours from there, and it originally became a vacation option due to proximity. Once my family moved to the Atlanta area, we maintained our summer trips there to meet up with my Virginia Beach family every summer for over 20 years. In total, between aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents, we had about 16 of us under one roof.
Every morning at OBX, we had the same routine – wake up early, eat a massive breakfast, and then stay at the beach as long as we could until our parents made us leave. I would often play with my cousin, whose mom (my aunt) is a nurse. She served as a nurse for most of my life.
One morning, we were all in the water enjoying a beautiful summer day on the tide when there was a sudden sense of urgency. My dad started yelling for my aunt, who happened to be standing next to me. She yelled, “OH MY GOD,” and started sprinting out of the water.
Just down the beach from us, a desperate man was pulling a lifeless teenager out of the water. She was pale white with blue lips, and I can still see the image of him dragging her body out of the surf by her arm.
My aunt, the nurse, immediately rushed over and began CPR. The other kids and I were being sheltered from the event by concerned grandparents, but everyone watched in stunned silence.
I remember seeing paramedics rushing down the sand dunes near the beach entrance and nearly falling over, trying to get to the woman. The quick reactions of my aunt, and my father and uncle, who rushed to a nearby house to call 911 in a time that predates cell phones, led to her resuscitation just as the paramedics arrived.
She was taken by ambulance for monitoring and treatment but was released that day. She and her boyfriend came over the next day and spoke with immense gratitude to us on the beach. In fact, she sent my aunt Christmas cards for years after that, and a genuine connection formed.
My aunt was a hero that day. She was in the right place at the right time and responded to the call when she was needed. As we continue to study Lydia, we also find somebody who was in the right place at the right time and responded accordingly to the call.
Lydia was on the riverbank worshipping with other Jewish believers when it so happened that Paul came by to share Jesus with them. Lydia responded in obedience, accepting the call of the Lord on her heart, and through her obedience, the first church in Europe on record was formed.
We do not know the moments that God has prepared us for, yet we can control our response when the moment approaches. Whether you’re a trained nurse on a beach or a faithful business leader on a riverbank, if you exercise obedience when God calls, then his kingdom will be glorified.
Lee Wilson and his wife, Deanna, have been NorthStar Church members since 2010. They are parents to Everett, Henry and Roselyn. Lee is passionate about sports (Go Braves, Go Dawgs) and has the pleasure to serve on the worship team as a bassist.