God Poked Me in the Ribs

by Pete Keslar

Long-time Chapel member, Pete Keslar, shares a story from his life & a lesson on the sovereignty of God.

When I first began working for Dad, Acme’s board of directors had a Christmas party each year for the meat department owners. They were a very nice affair. My Dad wanted me to go because he wanted me to meet the leadership at the company and the other meat department owners. After the banquet, the president of Acme was the master of ceremonies. He informed us of the future plans of the company and the challenges of the future. He then asked the owners if they had anything to expound upon; most of the comments were about the future of the retail meat business as there were going to be great changes coming about because of the switch to prepackaged meat. Most of the owners were Dad’s age and about three of them got up and spoke but said nothing of much substance. While they were speaking, Dad whispered to me to get up and speak. After the last speaker sat down, I got a hard poke in the ribs, I believe from God, but through Dad (the sovereignty of God).

Because the retail meat business was my life’s career, I was well informed about the great changes that would have to be made in areas such as cleanliness, bacteria count, temperature control, labor unions, and the increased cost of equipment. I talked for about 15 minutes and it was well received. What happened was just what Dad wanted to happen: the leadership at Acme knew who Pete Keslar was. I believe this helped me a few years later to be asked to be their new meat director—the sovereignty of God through that poke He gave me.

Our decisions matter because God knows them in the context of his own shaping of the future. God’s sovereignty is magnified, not diminished, when we understand that he has given us real freedom. –C.H. Pinnock.

The Scriptures say, “We must work out our own salvation.” However, the sovereignty of God working through our life and our faith must be real and strong as we live our lives if God can make a difference in our lives. Our faith must have integrity because we are God’s children. As I look back over my 87 years of living, all the twists and turns I made, and the temptations I had to overcome, it is amazing that a sinner like me can be so blessed as I see how God has worked His sovereignty in my life.

I say with humility and thanksgiving, “Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!”