Divine Weaving

Joel at Our Savior's Lutheran, Salt Lake City

2017

I have been looking back and writing down our experiences in the past fifty years of sharing life together.  It has brought up many memories, bringing to mind recently the two years spent in Salt Lake City Utah.  We arrived in 1970, moving into a two bedroom apartment near the University of Utah where Joel was attending classes through the Air Force to receive his degree in Meteorology.  Joel had requested the University of Wisconsin which would be nearer to our family, but was lacking jut one credit of their requirements.  We believe that God had other plans..............

Mountain View from church

When we traveled to northern California a year ago, we were able to spend a night in SLC, revisiting the campus and also revisiting Our Savior's Lutheran Church where we had been welcomed with open arms.  Lutherans were a rarity in this land inhabited by mostly Mormans.   It was fascinating to go back after nearly 50 years, remembering how God orchestrated our journey west to this beautiful little church home. 

Over the years the church, wherever located, has been our foundation.  It was no different in Utah.  In fact, Our Savior's Lutheran became a place of refuge, growth, and opportunity while for the two years we were stationed there.  While there the church had an Interim as their pastor had moved on to another congregation back in our home state of Minnesota.  The Interim was the campus Lutheran chaplain, so he was trying to do double duty.  Joel was asked to step in and preach 3 Sundays a month and he willingly did so.  This opportunity really set us on the path to Joel becoming an ordained pastor 10 years later. Only God!

Joel graduated from the University two years later and we were assigned to Duluth Air Base where he would forecast weather for the pilots.   Our friends Marge and Dick welcomed us to stay with them for our final week in Utah because we had to pack up and move out of our townhouse.  Soon after we left Utah, they moved with their family to Minnesota so our friendship continued on.  We were sent to the Philippines in 1974 and when we came back from our overseas assignment and left the Air Force to enter seminary in St. Paul MN,  Marge and Dick once again invited us to stay in their home while they were away on vacation.  They are two of the nicest, kindest, most generous people we have ever met.  You just gotta love how God weaves His plans into the lives of His children, including friendships.    

Our Savior's Lutheran

Some of the places we have lived have been exciting and filled with new experiences.  Salt Lake City may not have had us riding in a bunka boat across the ocean, or branding cattle on a warm day in Montana, but they opened the I doors of our hearts and minds to a calling and to friends that we cherish to this day.  I hope our stories is a reminder of how God has brought His plans to pass in your own lives.  There is nothing like "divine weaving" in our lives.  It brings it's own kind of adventure in faithful living.  So grateful.