New Deacon found Jesus at the bottom of his (empty) wallet

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Deacon Joseph Wesley of Spooner, WI, recently ordained to the permanent diaconate,took the first step on the path to his ordination nearly 20 years ago. "I was miraculously healed," he said. "Ever since my conversion experience, I've been so grateful. I want to help others."

The turnaround in Wesley's life was dramatic but gradual, and Ruth, his wife and partner in this life of service is very much part of his story of spiritual awakening.

The transformation was gradual but the Wesleys can easily pinpoint the spark that ignited their zeal. Both native Midwesterners, they were living in Stockton, Calif. when they married in 1975. He had once worked in law enforcement in Wisconsin, but by 1987 the couple owned a 300-seat restaurant with bar with 36 employees.

"It was big and fancy," he said. "We were really cooking." They lived in a 14-room house and drove a Lincoln town car. "We thought we could do anything," he said.

Then their lives changed. Wesley had a stroke -- he was only 49 years old -- and a cement plant, the area's major employer, closed. They had three young children. Wesley's health was fragile and home life was stressed as business in the restaurant began to die off. Soon the family's business and home were in foreclosure.

At the time they were both churchgoers. Ruth had converted to Catholicism about 10 years earlier at the age of 26. She was baptized along with their infant daughter and remained seriously interested in religion, but her husband held his spirituality at arms length.

"I did not know Jesus personally," he said. "I kept the law, I lived by the law. I was never away from the church -- I went to (Sunday) Mass because it's a mortal sin not to go."

During this turbulent time in their lives, their parish planned an Advent mission. When Ruth suggested that they attend, Wesley balked and said: "I'm not down that far yet."

It didn't take him much longer to reverse this statement as the family's financial troubles spiraled downward.
"Some people find Jesus in the bottom of a bottle. I found Jesus in the bottom of a wallet," he said by the time the mission began. "We were really down and out."

The Wesleys attended the weeklong mission. During the first evening the speaker, a lay evangelist, captured their attention and both became interested in Scripture. Returning home, they got out the Bible given to them as a wedding gift -- still in its original box, untouched -- and started reading it together.

The evangelist gave the same talk twice a day -- morning and evening. The Wesleys attended both times. When the evangelist moved on to other parishes, the Wesleys traveled to hear him speak. Finally he advised them to quit "chasing (me) all over the countryside" and join a Bible study group.

During this time the restaurant closed and was sold. They netted enough to take their home out of foreclosure and had $800 left over. "We went grocery shopping," he said. "We got the kids some real milk." (They had been drinking powdered milk.)

Things were starting to turn around for the Wesleys. "We were walking with the Lord by this time," he said.

They were hired to build a redwood deck for an acquaintance. But before receiving payment for the work, Wesley had the impulse to leave a $500 love offering for the mission evangelist at a Bible study -- most of the money from the sale of the restaurant. But he doubted that the impulse came "from the Lord" and called Ruth for advice.

"If the Holy Spirit is telling you, be obedient," she said, even though giving the $500 away would leave them with almost nothing until payment came for the deck job.

He followed the advice of his wife -- and his heart -- and gave the money away. One business deal led to another, and before long the couple moved to Wisconsin and became successful real estate developers.

Now 68 and 55 respectively, the Wesleys are retired and go to daily Mass. They have three adult children: Tom; Jean, married to Roger Johnson; and Frank, married to Brooke; and six grandchildren.

Joe Wesley attributes the positive changes in the family's lives to a seating change. "There was me in the front and Jesus in the back," he said. "We changed seats. I didn't use to ask God what to do. I didn't know how to talk to Jesus."

Now, even when Wesley thinks Jesus is a crazy driver, he does what he's told. "Jesus tells me to 'pedal.' That's all," he said. "You do what he wants you to do: sweep the streets or become a deacon." Superior Catholic Herald