What are your spiritual roots? Who helped the person who was most helpful to you in your spiritual journey?

My Mom led me to Christ when I was nine years old and my Dad was in Vietnam during the war (a story I share here). She in turn came to the Lord because of her friend, Shirley Wratten. But until my Mom died a few weeks ago, I never asked, "Who led Shirley to Christ?"

I reached out to Shirley, who is still alive at 89 years-old, and asked her the question. She shared that several people were influential. Eleanor Whitney was one of the people and Darlene Swanson, an heir of the Thomas English Muffin business, was another.

The story of our family's spiritual roots already had its amazing parts. For example, it turned out that my Dad was given the award named in honor of Shirley's husband. But I wasn't prepared for this new revelation.

When I read what Shirley texted me, I thought, "My goodness, this is another crazy turn in the story. Darlene's relative, Dan Swanson was my first boss! He hired me as I graduated from Wheaton College to serve in Indonesia!

Without the Swanson family, not only would I have not been launched in pursuing my life calling, but my Mom would not have had her eyes opened spiritually and I would not have not my encounter with Christ in 1968!

I believe God delights in these full-circle stories. We may just see one part of it, but if we dig a little bit, we see the bigger picture of how his grace has touched our family.

I need to get in touch with Dan Swanson, who I think is still alive. I just need to thank him yet again and share with him about the impact he and his family have had on my life. I tried to get in touch with him, but don't have a current phone number. But, in another twist of the story, I went to Wheaton with his daughter, Janet. So, I'm going to try to get in touch with you.

Think about it. If you could see the people in your life who have helped you get to where you are, who knows what connections you might see. Maybe I've impacted your life in some way. If so, your spiritual roots go back to Darlene Swanson! If so, feel free to share with me and I'll pass it along to Dan when I find him.

God loves us and he is working behind the scenes to bring us hope we're looking for.

I'm so thankful for the Swanson family. I wonder who was God's secret agent who originally shared the Gospel with them? I think I'll go meditate on that while I eat a Thomas English Muffin.