Rubber bands

Today we got to reconnect with our Pastor from Faith Community years ago. Jerry Wilson and his wife Milly were such a blessing in our lives.


We went to the church where they are fellowshipping now at Emanuel. They both really liked having us sitting in the pew with them. They had more than one person come up and ask if we were their grandkids. We even got to meet my dad's old principal that my dad tells tales about. We got to ask him if he really spanked Dad with a 2x4 with holes to make it hurt more. :) My dad respects Mr. Wagner so much even though at the time he used "tough love" on him. I think that is probably the reason that he respects him!

Jerry and Milly joined us for lunch, Mrs. Wilson was tickled to not be cooking and Pastor Wilson was happy that we had dessert for him. All morning I kept on thinking in the back of my mind...was he going to do it? He did. The thing that I remember most about Pastor Wilson was his tricks. I know that this godly man preaches very meaty sermons, but to a five year old the interacting meant more. He could attract a whole circle of us kids with nothing more than a rubber band. He made it "jump" from one hand to the other and then back again. He always kept change on him too, the change would appear in kids' ears or sleeves; we even got to keep it. Thirteen years later we still enjoyed his "tricks".






The Wilsons are just now "retired" but he is still serving in churches that need a pastor once in a while. Pastor Wilson blessed so many struggling churches. He came in when they were struggling and would pull them back together and help them refocus their gaze where it needed to be. He said that he would never retire, but at the age of 87 he is slowing down. He is backed by a truly amazing wife; her compassion for people and love for them was just as much of a blessing as Pastor Wilson's sermons. Mrs. Wilson admits that she is "older" but isn't going to be "old" until she is 90..."well maybe...we'll see" see says.

Their age is a constant source of teasing between them. Mrs. Wilson is 3 1/4 months older than Pastor Wilson. Over dinner we got to hear about how he will still be young when she is old. She scoured back at him and replied with something funny. Their heritage is also a constant source of pleasure. Pastor Wilson is Norwegian like my family (LarsEn) and Mrs. Wilson is Swedish (which would spell Larsen with an "o"). The 7 Norwegians at the table were reveling in their heritage and she piped up about how the Swedish are smarter. The way that they tease each other, in love, is so fun to watch. They don't criticize or tear the other person down, but out of a strong relationship they have fun "pushing the other's buttons". When leaving Pastor Wilson told us to come visit anytime; it's the apartment marked "Love Nest". If they weren't 87 I would mistake them for a younger couple just recently married, but in Milly's own words it just gets, "gooder and gooder and gooder as you get older". I want a marriage like that, centered around their Savior and what blessings have come from it!