The Hand of Providence
by Teri Ong
I am going to tell a couple of stories that are like spokes on a wheel. Spokes don’t necessarily ever know that they are part of a bigger operation. But these spokes one day got an awe-inspiring view of that bigger operation in a very remarkable way.
Spoke One
Forty years ago, there was a sweet mother named Cleona. She was married to a Christian man. He and his parents were faithful and active in their local church. In fact, he was a deacon in the church. One day there were whispers that this husband was not being faithful to his wife. The other deacons thoroughly checked out the rumors, which indeed turned out to be more than rumors.
The husband was confronted about his sin by his pastor and fellow deacons. He, however, remained unrepentant. Eventually he left his wife and two small children. His godly parents and wife were devastated. His wife described it as the worst time in her life. She needed spiritual help which she sought from her pastor.
Her pastor lovingly told her to remember that God was all she needed. He had promised to be the Husband to the abandoned and a Father to the fatherless. Her pastor advised her to go home and make a good meal for her children and rejoice in the Lord. He told her to take heart because she would make it through.
And she did. She remained faithful to her Savior and so did her two children.
Spoke Two
Forty years ago, there was a couple that was very discontented with the Episcopalian church they had been faithfully attending and serving in over the course of their whole marriage. Through the years there was less and less emphasis on “religion” and more and more emphasis on “politics,” – liberal politics. And the problem was, they were political conservatives.
The mother began listening to an evangelical minister on the radio. She liked what she heard. She liked it so much that she convinced the family to visit the church that sponsored the program. They liked the church; they liked the Biblical message they heard in the church.
The family attended the church over a period of weeks and months. When they came to the church, they believed they were true Christians, but as time went on, they came to understand that they needed to believe personally in the saving work of Jesus to be saved. That realization became a reality for the mother, the father, and at least two of the sons on the very same Sunday in 1973.
They worshiped in that church for many years. One of the sons, Steve, was called by the Lord into pastoral ministry and went on to serve the Lord in another state.
The Wheel Goes Around
Cleona’s daughter is Laurie. In the course of time, Laurie met a wonderful Christian man named Keith and they married. Eventually they settled in northern Colorado. They had five children, a girl and four boys. They chose to homeschool their children and were faithfully involved with their church ministries and with the Christian homeschool community to northern Colorado.
The young man, Steve, who was called to pastoral ministry, eventually ended up going to seminary in Colorado. There he met a Christian lady and married her. They had seven children, four girls and three boys. They also chose to homeschool their children. Their church became a center of homsechool activity in northern Colorado.
All twelve of these children grew up together, doing many school activities together over about 15 years. In the course of time, Laurie and Keith’s daughter Christy said she would marry Steve and Teri’s son Christopher.
The Hub of the Wheel
At the time of their engagement party, Steve mentioned that he had gotten saved while attending First Baptist Church in Elkhart, Indiana. Cleona, who was also at the party, revealed that her roots also went back to Elkhart, Indiana. In fact, the pastor of First Baptist Church was the one who had helped her through that worst of all times in her life and had helped her keep her priorities right in raising faithful children.
Neither Steve nor Cleona had any remembrance of having met at First Baptist. It is likely that their time didn’t overlap at the church. Nonetheless, the pastor that had that profound, life-changing ministry in both of their lives was Pastor Dan Gelatt.
A Time of Great Rejoicing!
In May 2012, Pastor Dan Gelatt was able to come to northern Colorado to speak at the graduation ceremonies for Colorado Heritage Education School System (a homeschool program) and Chambers College (a ministry of Reformation Baptist Church). Cleona’s family and Steve’s family got to share the remarkable story of God’s providence with Pastor Gelatt in person.
At the lunchtime celebration, there was a baby present– Chris and Christy’s baby, Miles Ong. From our human vantage point, without the faithful ministry of Pastor Gelatt, Cleona might not have “made it through.” There might not have been a faithful Laurie to marry Keith, who had a Christian daughter, Christy. There might not have been a born-again Steve who had a Christian son named Christopher. And without Chris and Christy, there wouldn’t be Miles!
We all rejoiced greatly in the special vision of God’s greater work, and we know there are more spokes in the wheel and more Miles to go!
The God that rules on high
And thunders when He please,
That rides upon the stormy sky
And manages the seas…
This awesome God is ours,
Our Father and our love;
He shall send down His mighty powers
To carry us above.
And here– before we rise
To that immortal state–
The thought of such a world of bliss
Should constant joy create.
God’s saints have ever found
Glory begun below:
That heavenly fruits on earthly ground
From faith and hope may grow!
–Isaac Watts
