By Lois Krogh

This last August, within two weeks of each other, the two pastors who officiated at our
wedding thirty-five years ago died and met the Chief Shepherd face to face. I am sure they
heard, “Well done, good and faithful servants.”

Both men energetically loved the Lord, his Word, his church and the lost outside the
church. They were men full of faith who cared personally about everyone they met. Both
pushed themselves to follow hard after Christ.

But, oh, how they were different! After our wedding ceremony, a friend from work asked
me where I found the “Mutt and Jeff combo” to officiate the wedding.

First, their physical appearances were strikingly different. One short and genteel; one tall and stocky. One with hair well-groomed. The other with an ever present buzz—probably self-administered. Their personalities were also different. One had a sharp mind and wit and was well-mannered. The other was intense, direct and unceremonious.

One loved skiing. The other basketball and mountain climbing. One preferred nice resorts. The other a campsite. One drove new cars, fast! The other drove a beat-up Volkswagen van and always at five miles below the speed limit.

Both were used by God to lay a foundation for my faith. Both took that role seriously.
From both, I learned to honor the Word of God, to study it systematically and apply it to my life and culture. From both I learned to serve God wholeheartedly. In hindsight I can see that the flaws of both men were also part of what God is using to mature my faith.

I am thankful God loves his church so much that he gives each local church a pastor.
They may be different in upbringing, education and experiences. They may be different in
personalities and skills. But they all serve the Chief Shepherd by teaching and loving and
leading his sheep.

There is something full-circle about Lois' musing. On October 16, she and her husband, Steve, will be comissioned as College Church missionaries with Training Leaders International, training and equipping local pastors worldwide.