Countless Scripture passages encourage us to tell others about what the Lord has done for us (in Ps 71, Ps 78, Ps 105, Ps 145, Isaiah 12, and 1 Chron 16 to name just a few). We have felt called by the Lord to help FCC gather faith stories and publish them so we can all be inspired to look for "God's fingerprints" everywhere. Sometimes these stories are miraculous, sometimes they are very ordinary, but they all remind us of the Lord's compassion and truth. - Pete & Kari Stadem
God Owns it All
by Paul Peterson
(Editor’s Note: Paul Peterson compiled a history book for the 125th
anniversary of First Covenant Church in 2007. This story is from that book.)
The earth is the Lord’s & everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Psalm 24:1
A former pastor of First Covenant remembered Leo Rosland’s story. Leo was a member of First Covenant Church and the last of three brothers who still lived on the family farm southwest of Willmar. They had farmed successfully and significantly increased their acreage. When the pastor drove onto the property to visit Leo, he saw what must have once been the showpiece of the area. He surveyed white buildings, a groomed lawn, and a small, humble home. He and Leo sat in the kitchen, and Leo shared the years of progress he had experienced: from horses to tractors, from crop rotation to intensified farming. At the end of their discussion, Leo remarked, “Pastor, God has given all of this to us, and when we are gone, He is going to get it all back.” Leo had worked with previous FCC pastors in his estate planning. After Leo's passing, the church inherited a substantial amount of property from the Roslund Estate. After all of it was sold, Leo’s farm funded significant ministry to people in the Willmar area and beyond. God did indeed “get it all back.”
Creator God, You made this world and You sustain it. Help us to remember that everything we have is Yours and to use it for Your glory and Your purposes. Amen.