The Paine Family

Originally, our plan was to leave for South Carolina Wednesday night for our Paine family reunion. We would arrive sometime on Thursday and head back Saturday evening. However, God had other plans and purposes for this trip and it turned into an awesome adventure!

About 15 minutes into our trip Wednesday evening, we blew a tire. Thankfully, we had a spare and were back on the road soon. We continued to drive into the night. Upon entering the heart of Nashville, a second tire blew…and we knew we were in trouble because we had no other spare. =) We limped into a gas station to see if we could find help. After making a few phone calls, we realized that buying two new tires of an uncommon size on Thanksgiving day would be close to impossible…and it was. Thus we were stranded in downtown Nashville. It was at this point that Dad read Proverbs 27:10.

“Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother’s house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbor that is near than a brother far off.”

We realized that we were only about 10 miles from the Nashville training center. The Kelly family graciously provided wonderful hospitality and invited us into their home. Friday we were able to get back on the road and spend Saturday with our family. Though it was short, we had a great time with all of our extended family. Every time we get together the group seems to grow! It was so good to see everyone. All in all it was an adventure and we are grateful for God’s hand of protection and for friends and family who love us.