Throughout 2024, the feature articles are devoted to hearing stories of God’s redemption within our Rosedale Network churches. We pray these stories fuel your love for the Lord and lead you to greater service in His Church.
~Kelsey Jurkovich, Publication & Literature Committee
Mysterious Ways
“God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform.” These are the words of William Cowper from a hymn that our church occasionally sings. On a Sunday morning in October 2023, as we mingled together after our morning service and prepared to leave for our homes, one of our members informed me that someone was waiting in the parking lot, wanting to speak to the pastor about getting married.
When I went outside, I was introduced to a young man who wanted to marry his girlfriend of seven years. After explaining that I like to meet with a couple numerous times for counseling before officiating a wedding, the young man assured me that they would be willing to meet yet that afternoon. We set a time to meet and parted for our homes.
We truly believe that God has changed the lives of these two dear persons.
Later that afternoon, my wife, Lois, and I met the couple at the church and went to one of the Sunday school rooms to talk. After spending some time with them, we learned that their wedding plans had fallen apart, they already had their marriage license, and there were several children involved. Given the circumstances, it felt appropriate to move forward with the marriage vows.
We moved to the sanctuary, where I officiated their marriage vows during a brief ceremony. Afterward, Lois and the bride exchanged phone numbers. We then went home and proceeded to take our regular Sunday afternoon naps. When we woke up, Lois discovered that she had received a text from the bride asking what our church was like. There were many texts back and forth between the two until later that evening, with one of the final messages from the bride stating that our church sounded like one that they could feel good about attending. She also expressed that they wanted to get their lives on track with God and provide a good home for their children.
Attending a church was a difficult step for them, as the bride had some very disappointing church experiences as a child and young adult. We patiently waited and continued to stay in touch, mostly through texts between Lois and the bride. Unfortunately, several months later, the groom was incarcerated because of some things that had happened previously. The children went to live with grandparents while the bride came to live with us for about six months.
During her stay with us, the bride gave her heart to the Lord and became a member of our congregation. I have regularly visited with the groom over the months and he also has dedicated his life to Christ. We truly believe that God has changed the lives of these two dear persons. We anxiously await the time of the groom’s release and the freedom for them to be united again as a family with a new identity.
We are keenly aware that God is writing this story. Although we don’t know what the final chapter will be, we see His hand in the script all along the way. Perhaps the greatest work of God in this so far was testing my willingness to step out of the boat, to walk on the waters of uncertainty, and to trust Him in a situation that was outside my normal comfort zone. God has been faithful, and I have realized that God truly works in amazing and mysterious ways to bring about His plan.
Photo credit: AI-generated
One Response
What a beautiful story! Thanks for your wisdom and availability in walking with this dear family — helping to bring healing and wholeness out of brokenness.