December 23rd marked 30 years of marriage for Linda and me.  And I’ve blogged before about the naivety in which we married.  We were young.  We didn’t know how important this decision was.  And further, we didn’t know as much about each other as we thought we did.

Fast forward 30 years, and I am so incredibly glad to be married to Linda.  She has been a great wife, an amazing mother to our three children, but also an extremely helpful partner in ministry.  I truly believe that when we are gone and younger people reflect on our ministry here among them, many will say, “Don was alright at pastoring, but that Linda, she was an EXCELLENT pastor’s wife!”

I couldn’t have known her giftings in this area when we were first married, in part because I didn’t even have a firm grasp on my own gifting and calling that eventually resulted in planting a church.  I recognize that I could be accused of too much building up of my wife on a public blog like this.  But I usually blog about things that are on my mind.  And I have so much joy in my heart for the way that He has blessed me with Linda Filcek.

Our marriage is not perfect.  I am not perfect and neither is she.  But the way that God has put us together like complementary puzzle pieces in ministry is sometimes uncanny.  And I mean, ‘uncanny’ in a way that points to a God who has a sovereign plan.

I cannot imagine leading a church like ReCAST without a wife that understands ministry, supports ministry, loves the Lord, and loves me well.  We have grown so much in 30 years of ministry together.  And I am more grateful now than I was early on.  I had no idea when we stood in front of that church in Battle Creek 30 years ago, that I was marrying such a gifted and capable ministry partner.  I had a hunch, but it was an untested hunch.  30 years later it is a joy to watch her serve the Lord by serving people!

I am so blessed! ReCAST Church is so blessed.