God Knew What I Needed
By Paul Wood
My wife passed away Nov 23rd, 2018 after a long illness. I was lost, really beside myself. I didn’t know what to do with myself. We had been together for 59 ½ years. The nights were so lonely and I would often wake up in the middle of the night in tears. What do I do? Where do I turn? I prayed. People here in the valley were so good to me. They brought in meals and truly cared for my physical needs. Then one day out of the blue I had a visitor come to see me. It was the Stake President. He visited with me for a good two hours. He consoled me but I didn’t realize until a bit after that it was also an interview. Soon after that I was called to his office and was called to be on the Stake High Council. I didn’t realize that’s what I needed to get me involved and busy but he did and so did the Lord. I was sustained in Stake conference in Jan. 2019. I thank God each day for this calling to help me through this very tough time in my life.
Guidance before Trial
By Lorna Gail Nielson Wood
1982-1983 There was two big lay offs from the mine. Will got it on the 2nd one. He had been laid off for a while with out success of getting another job some where else. We got word they were paying out some kind of savings Will had while working there. We discussed and prayed, prayed and discussed what we should do with it. We was adding on to our house so had the trailer opened up and the outside walls up but thats all. Do we use the money to finish it or set it aside to pay the higher heal bills. We didn't know what way to do. Finally we agreed and felt like we should finish the rooms.
A few months later 1984 we was to get a pretty fair tax return back so again we didn't know where to put it where it would benefit us the most. By now unimployment, even the extension, wad run out. Our food storage was almost gone. Back to our knees we went.
One night I woke up in the middle of the night. I set right up in bed. Something told me "PAY OFF THE VAN". It was as clear as if they were right there by me. I laid back down but couldn't get it off my mind. Finally I woke Will and ask him if he had even thought about paying off the van with the money.. No he had not so I told him what had just happened and he agreed if I was told this we best do it. Neither of us had thought of doing this but as soon as the money came we headed for Price and the bank. OH NO. It wasn't quite enough. Now what do we do. Back home we went. We knew we had to come up with something. Finally, we thought of the little bit we had set aside to go for insurance and land taxes. That did it so back to Price we went and paid off the van.
About 3 days later my world fell clear apart when Will left. I thank God everyday for guiding us the way he did. I could have never paid to finish the house or make that van payment while by myself.
