The remaining posts (10!!!) will be about locales outside of the East Bay area.
We have been to Atlanta, numerous times. Love the city. It is definitely one of my favorite Southern cities to visit. And, it holds a special place in my heart. Reggie proposed to me in Centennial Park in Atlanta 8 years ago. During Operation Eastward, we were in Atlanta to attend the Impact 2013 conference, held by the Impact Movement, a ministry to African-American college students, were we both served for a couple of years. It was at Impact 2004 where we met.
So, it was very exciting to take all three of our children back to where it all began, Atlanta, to the Impact conference, and introduce them to people who knew us before there was an “us”. Sweet times with great lifetime friends who have prayed with/for us, journeyed with us, cried and laughed with us. Just sweet times.
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| Enoch at the conference with Josiah, one of his godbrothers. |
Of course, you noticed “ER” in the title. Unfortunately, our first trip to the emergency room for one of the children occurred in Atlanta. Bella fell off the bathroom counter as I reached for a towel. I was alone with all three kids. And, hysterical. Yeah, that is how you would describe it. Hysterical. As God would have it, I had just returned to the room from the opening session of the Impact conference, and had just seen my friend, Melody, with her sister. The significance of that is her sister is a pediatrician.
I called Reggie immediately and in between tears (and bashing/blaming myself), I tried to explain to him what happened and told him to find Lynn. Yes. In a ballroom full of people (about 900-1000), I tell him to find one. And, he set out to find her. The first person he asked said, “Oh, there she is right there.”
They came up, she examined Bella, assured me she was going to be ok (I was still in hysterics), but because she felt a small lump (hematoma), she recommended we go to the ER of the children’s hospital nearby, where she had privileges. That hospital happened to be about 4 minutes away.
We arrived, and we spoke with the attending physician, who is asking questions – what happened, why are we in Atlanta from Cali, etc. etc. The questioning proceeds in such a way that she finds out who recommended we come. To which she replies, “Oh well, if she already checked her, you were in good hands, she’s my boss.” Understand this, our first significant injury (head trauma, no less) happened less than 5 minutes away from a children’s hospital, with a pediatrician in the same building as us, and not just any pediatrician, a professor and one who trains, supervises, manages and directs other pediatricians, I had just spoken to her in passing, so I knew to ask for her, and Reggie found her in a ballroom full of people. Do you see the grace in this? Do you understand how differently could’ve gone? So grateful.
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| Bella in her hospital gown. Playing with Daddy while we waited for her x-ray. |
Thankfully, Bella was fine. The next day as we were walking around the hotel, people kept inquiring about her. We found out a message had been sent to the conference workers requesting prayer for her. People had been praying. For the remainder of the week, people would inquire and we were reminded of God’s grace. His grace and love covers a multitude…
To end the trip on a lighter note is #33…
Atlanta is the location of the Chick Fil A Bowl. The hotel that hosted the conference also hosted Chick Fil A Bowl activities, and the Duke team. There were fans everywhere, and mascots. While we didn’t attend the game, I had the chance to take Enoch to his first parade, the Chick Fil A Bowl parade. Great first time experience – free footballs and frisbees. He loves Chick Fil A. And the cows. That is, he loved the cows until he realized how big the Chick Fil A cow really is, then he decided he didn’t like them anymore and a picture was not going to happen. Oh well… I was able to get a couple of shots of both Duke and Texas A&M marching bands.
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