God Writes Straight With (very) Crooked Lines

In 1944, a little baby contracted spinal meningitis; at the time there was no known cure. Baby's father, a soldier, mooched a packet of sulfa powder from his company medical officer and sent it to the doctor. Doctor, figuring he had nothing to lose, removed some of the baby's infected spinal fluid and injected sulfa solution. Between a stubborn Norwegian doctor's work and a stubborn Polish priest's prayers, baby survived with no discernible damage at the time.



In 1958, the teenage boy took the entrance exam for a fairly expensive Catholic high school (which the family couldn't afford) and won a one-year tuition scholarship. Boy worked part-time during the year and full-time summers to pay for it. Graduated 1962 well up in class.

In fall 1962, the young man entered engineering school, and in fall 1964 removed himself from it because courses were too rough, and transferred to a liberal arts college. In march 1965 young man was called up for the draft but flunked the physical, but didn't find out about it until August.

For the next five years, the young man was in and out of school and work. Finally got his B.A. in 1970 and was admitted to graduate school on probation. Burned out in 1971, tried again in 1972, had a nervous breakdown, and left university for good.

In 1973 the man applied for and was offered a good job where he could use his skills and interests. He gave notice at the place where he had worked since 1968. When he showed up for the new job, he was told that the owner's nephew had been hired instead. Man was out of work for nine months, collecting unemployment and applying everywhere.

In 1974 the 30-year-old man went to work for the state highway department, until something better would come along. On January 22 of the same year, the man went to a prolife rally and got involved in prolife work up to his ears. In 1975 the man had a chance at a college TA job, in his major, but would have to move a long way, so he turned it down.

In 1990 the man got sick and tired of office politics and transferred to a branch office, where he met a woman. This woman was married and had a baby daughter with serious health problems.

About April 1993 the woman had a chat with the man in his cubicle, and said that she and her husband were considering abortion because they had terrible doubts whether they could decently care for a second baby, but she really didn't want to do it. God, through the man, talked her out of it. The man still insists it wasn't he, it was God using him as His voice.

In December 2011 the baby had her 18th birthday, is a senior in high school and a very good student, with extracurricular activities to her credit. She is her mother's strength these days, because her father died about four months ago, and the woman and her daughters are still grieving their loss.

The young lady is a very devout Lutheran Christian, and wants to go to Bible college and enter the ministry. She has undoubtedly touched many lives for the better, and will touch even more.

If almost any big thing in this man's or this woman's life had been different, they would never have met, and that young woman might not be alive today. God writes very straight, even though the lines may seem very crooked at the time.