Fifty eight years ago, I made the second-most important decision of my life. The most important was trusting Christ as my personal Savior, but next was my decision to take the preacher’s daughter to be my wife. On this day, June 16th, in 1967, Kathy and I were married in the very first service held upstairs at Faith Bible Church in Libby, Montana. In fact we helped paint some of the walls that day and Kathy’s brothers hung the big  cross on the rockwork at the back of the platform!  

      We committed our lives, not only to each other “for as long as we both shall live,” but also to follow Jesus Christ wherever He should lead us.  Well, it has been quite the adventure and it is not over yet!  We are still available for God to use as long as He has planned for us and look forward to the next adventures!

     I had Kathy find the lyrics of a duet that we sang at our wedding reception.  The words really represent the commitment we made, as partners, to serve our Savior all the days of our lives.

          “Our Heavenly Father in His matchless love,

          Has caused our pathways here below to meet,

          That we might journey to our home above

          Together, you and I in union sweet.

          Thy hand in mine, and both our hands in His

          Who holds the sparrow in His tender care,

          Could we on earth ask any greater bliss?

          Sweet foretaste of the glory over there.

          He whose blest hand has brought us to this hour,

          And drawn our hearts together by His grace,

          Will e’er sustain and keep us  by His power

          ‘Til we at last behold His lovely face.

     Chorus:

          Together we will walk life’s untried way,

          Together face with joy each newborn day.

          With love to cheer and joy to lead us on,

          And Christ to bless till trav’ling days are done.”

    The road we have traveled has had its bumps and twists and turns but God has been so gracious and faithful. We are truly “blessed by the Best!”  If you have been a Christian for a few years you have undoubtedly discovered the truth of Prov. 16:9: “The mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.” It’s not wrong to plan–in fact we should–but always with “Lord willing, we will do this.” He may have a different plan and “As for God, His way is blameless…” (Psa. 18:30a).  We may not always understand God’s plan for our lives, but we know it is “blameless” or “perfect.”  That’s why Solomon, in his great wisdom, wrote: “Trust in the LORD with all you heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight” (Pr. 3:5,6). 

     Our life together began with my finishing an engineering degree at Montana State University (go Bobcats!)  and then working for just more than five years for Hyster in Portland, Oregon where we grew so much in Christ and made some lifelong friends. We started our family there (Heidi and Grant) and had a great church home.  I had the joy of introducing my boss, his brother and our secretary to Christ and started Bible studies at work and at home. I recognized, with the counsel of mature Christian friends, that God was giving us a new direction of ministry. We had always hoped to come back to Montana to rear our family, but didn’t realize how God would work that out. We discovered that if you “Delight yourself in the LORD; He will give you the desires of your heart” (for He putsthem there), and if you “Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, He will do it” (Psa 37:4,5). 

     God opened a door of opportunity for us to return to Montana and work as missionaries with Rocky Mountain Bible Mission. I resigned at Hyster and we returned to Libby, Montana where I served under my father-in-law, Pastor Clarence Kutz who with his wife Irene had joined the mission when he retired at Faith Bible Church. But, it wasn’t long after we returned and were involved in Bible studies and youth groups, that Pastor Kutz discovered he had an aggressive leukemia and soon passed away just as one his adult Bible studies was starting a church. So, “by default,” I became the pastor of Three Lakes Community Bible Church near Troy, Montana on the Bull Lake Road.  We were there for 37 1/2 years, started Three Lakes Christian School, and Elohim Bible Camp and Retreat Center.  

     We continue to teach Bible studies and I occasionally fill in the pulpit and also teach at the local training center for International Messengers.  I added a junior boys’ Bible study as well the past couple years. It was at their request. They are some “lively” 10-12 year olds, but it has been a joy to see their eagerness to get into God’s Word!

     When we sang “Together We Will Walk Life’s Untried Ways” at our wedding fifty-eight years ago, we had no idea where God would lead and what He would have us do, but we are so thankful for His direction and His presence and His strength with us the entire journey, for “We are not adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God” (II Cor. 3:5). We also have the great joy of seeing our children and grandchildren loving and following the Lord (See III Jn. 1:4). 

     So, “together–as long as God wills–we will (continue) to walk life’s untried way. (And) Together we will face with joy each newborn day. With love to cheer and joy to lead us on, and Christ to bless till traveling days are done.”

Forever His,

Pastor Dave N