It was my birthday weekend and we were headed to Athens, Texas. My wonderful husband who knows me so well had planned it out months in advance…a nice cabin and a three-day weekend to hike and visit a local winery. I was more than a little bit excited when we hit the road on Saturday.
We left early that morning and made a few stops – one at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (cool place!) and one for lunch at The Ole West Bean and Burger (great burgers!) – before heading to a neat-looking winery we had looked up on the internet. It was called 3 P’s in a Vine, and as we pulled into the gravel parking lot I could tell it was my kinda place. Built log-cabin style with a beautiful stone fireplace on the side, we headed indoors and were immediately warmly greeted by Rae, one of the owners. She had a bright smile and invited us to take a seat anywhere in the small but quaint tasting room. She introduced us to their wine selection and spent several minutes just visiting with us, asking us about our weekend, where we planned to stay, what we planned to do, and really just getting to know us a bit. She asked us about our kids, colleges we attended, work we do, and shared some of herself with us as well. It was like talking to an old friend. She was the kind of person who makes you feel like you have known them for years.
We decided to try the wine tasting menu and enjoyed all of their wonderful offerings. We spent almost two hours at this warm and inviting place and really enjoyed ourselves, the wine, and the excellent conversations we ended up having with both Rae and later her husband Brett. After such a wonderful time at the winery, it was almost hard to pull ourselves away and head back out into the very blustery and cold weather, but we were also excited to get to our cabin. We had plans to have a campfire, cook some dinner, and enjoy some smore’s. So, we paid our bill, said goodbye to Brett and Rae, and headed out to our truck.
However, once we got inside the truck, that’s when it all fell apart…almost. In a matter of minutes, we came to find out that our reservation at the cabin had been cancelled and we had no place to stay for the weekend. I won’t get into the details of how it happened because the details don’t really matter. What mattered was that it was my birthday weekend, I had been looking forward to staying in the cabin, we had reservations to hike at a state park the next day, we were more than two hours from home, and it was getting late. What on earth were we going to do? I was near tears.
I don’t know what made me do it, but in a moment of desperation, I got out of the truck and headed back into the 3 P’s. As I opened the door, Rae was standing at the bar and her bright smile greeted me again. She asked, “Back already?” That’s when I lost it. As I walked toward the bar and explained that our reservation had been dropped, I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. She saw it right away…the tears, my frustration, my sadness, my anger. And she, this wonderful, kind, compassionate stranger, comforted me right away with, “Don’t cry and don’t you worry, we will fix this. It is your birthday weekend and we’ll make it right.” It wasn’t hers to make right and I had no idea how she could do so, but something in her manner and disposition made me trust her and I felt better. In that moment, I believed her. In that moment, somehow, I really knew that it would be alright.
Let’s suffice it to say that Rae came through for us. In a short time, she had arranged accommodations for us, and she even invited us back to the winery that night to hang out by their campfire, and to spend more time with her, Brett, and a few other family and friends to enjoy more of their wine. They welcomed us into their “home” there at the winery with open arms and treated us like friends.
Rae and Brett are a couple of grapevine growers who have a passion for making wine and sharing it with others through their self-made business they call 3 P’s in a Vine. In a cute way, I’d like to say they were our “Vine intervention” on this weekend. They intervened when we didn’t know what else to do and were at a complete loss. Or maybe more accurately, divine intervention led to this Vine intervention. I truly believe God put these wonderful people in our path when He knew we would need help. And through their generosity of time, concern, care, and comfort, we ended up having a wonderful place to stay and I ended up having one of the finest birthdays ever.
I have to say, I am humbled by this experience. With all of the craziness that has gone on in our world over the last few years, with all of the anger and fighting and disagreement we see on a daily basis, it is easy to forget there are kind people in the world. I, like so many others, have felt the weight of the world and wondered if there really were any good people out there anymore. Now I know there are. I needed this reminder on my birthday weekend – it was by far the best birthday gift I could have ever received.
