“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” –John 14:6
This Scripture is familiar to all professing Christians. I can attest that Christ has carried me through good and trying times—all 92 years of my life. I once received a greeting from a choir member with Stainer’s Crucifixion hymn God So Loved the World, and it reminded me of when I sang it as a 14-year-old at my church. Years later, I was overjoyed when Jim Johnson, First Church Choir Director, said we would perform it. My love for Christian music has led me to travel and attend many events, including a Mormon Tabernacle Choir rehearsal in Salt Lake City.
Growing up in a Christian home, my faith has always been a source of strength and comfort, even when I lost my parents in my 20s. My husband, John, and I moved all over Illinois, West Virginia, southwest Kentucky, California, and back to Versailles (KY). Our family grew, and we had two sons and two daughters. We found a church home in each new community, and as the children grew, I sang in the choir again. Indeed, God watched over us as we traveled or relocated.
There were many “coincidences” throughout our journey. At 8½ months of age, our second son developed a heart issue that required surgery. Kentucky friends connected us to Minneapolis University Hospital, where skilled surgeons had curative technology. During our stay with him, we found a Presbyterian church to attend. Our son required blood transfusions, and through members of that church, my husband’s professional fraternity, and others, God-provided donors. Grateful for the successful surgery, we knew God had made a way for our son.
In 1972, John suffered a fatal heart attack. As always, the Lord provided and led me through grieving, various careers, seeing my children grow into adults, and eventually meeting my dear Hank, to whom I have been married for 31 years. After spending time with friends who lived in Naples, getting to know the area, and attending First Church, we settled in Southwest Florida. I joined the choir and have seen the growth in the church’s ministry over the last thirty years through the leadership of Paul Kirbas, Doug Pratt, Jeff Faux, and others. Coincidence—interim pastor Robert Smith had been the pastor of our Versailles church in the 1970s.
In 2020, the pandemic, our age, and health challenges changed our lives. It was time to retire from the choir. While I miss the Christian relationships with Jeff and the choir members, and though we no longer attend church in person, we are grateful for the innovations that allow us to worship online. Our many coincidences of connecting with friends, finding churches, learning from life experiences, and being encouraged by the Word reassure me that the Lord is the way, the truth, and the life.
by Martha Boulanger
