Spiritual Rest - in Remembrance of Connie Hultquist

 

Connie Hultquist (1947 - 2021)

 

 Connie passed into Heaven on November 18, 2021, at the age of 74.  She was a beloved wife, mother, and grandmother who was loved by many.  

Her incredible marriage testimony was first published in "Above Rubies Magazine" in the year 2000.  Her daily writings about faith, family, motherhood, and the home inspired and encouraged hundreds of readers over many years.  Her book, "Dear Kitchen Saints" is a compilation of many of those writings and includes a copy of her marriage testimony.  

She wrote from the heart, out of a lifetime of experience.  She also corresponded with many and counseled them, cheering them along to better days.  When someone came to her, weeping, sharing their troubles, she would help brighten their day with encouragement and advice and then say, with great faith, "That ain't nothing."  She knew without a single doubt that God was in control and could handle anything.  This calmed and soothed many tired mothers and got them through the hard days.  

Her life made a tremendous impact on a multitude of people.  She was a mentor and spiritual Mother to many. She will be remembered with gratefulness. Her life was a gift and a blessing to all who knew her, whether in person, or through her writings.  She will be greatly missed.

I came across one of her old letters, from the year 2013.  (I have gently edited it, to fix some spelling, but left it mostly in its original condition. To find out more about how her letters were written, using a small email machine, please see our About page.)  In this brief three- part message, she talks about her daily writings and how inadequate she felt to do this ministry that God called her to do.  The title is, "Spiritual Rest" and really helps to sum up her wonderful sense of humor and wisdom as she humbly shares about her struggles to write. 

- Mrs. White, site administrator

 {From the Archives of Connie's Letters. April 17, 2013.}

 Part 1 "He is Strong in Us."

Ya know? Every time the ladies get me a new group or the ministry is promoted. . I get scared and can't write. . So the ladies tell everyone how much they will like my writings and I don't write at all. . Well . I can't help it. . I am just the type of woman that would be happy totally isolated in a cabin in Alaska.  

The audience I mostly speak to are the ages of my own grown children. And you all have a lot of energy. . I feel like I am in a race car and the ladies who are driving are going 140 miles an hour.  I am in the back seat trying not to faint, and to walk by faith ya know.  I see you alls point and I agree with ya. . But its like, "What am I doing here?" 

Well I know you're thinking, I am just a bit slower on the draw then you all are. . In my heart of hearts I am thrilled . . this is such a faith adventure. . I love it. . but its as though I am wearing a pair of shoes that are way too big for me. .  Or its like I have to grow spiritually into this position. . Its like I cry unto the Lord..."Lord I don't know how to do this,". . And yet I wouldn't miss it for the WORLD...!!!

So I go before the Lord as a hunk of clay that is all goofed up. . And I say to the Lord, "Lord please make something out of me."  I know I can't write in the flesh . . . I guess when we are weak He can be strong in us. . He does choose the foolish things of the earth to confound the wise. . I guess if I had a lot of confidence in my education or my degrees, maybe He couldn't use me. . But I guess I am just silly enough to make enough blunders and mistakes in front of God and everyone that it speaks to my readers, that if Connie can be used of God to write. . . then anyone can. . . My human weakness I think is my greatest value to the Lord. . Yet I hate it of course. . I would love to be perfect. . But that aint gonna happen. . . 

 

Part 2 "Oh Sweet Jesus"

 

 Well it helped for me to write that first part. . I can see I was looking at myself to see if I was good enough to be a writer. . But what the Lord uses me for is to show my weakness. And in my weakness He is made strong.

When Jimmy my oldest son was here we talked about my writing. .This son of mine loves getting new college degrees. . He has a good job as a light designer. . I ask him if he read any of my writings and he said no. . Then he turns around to me and says, "How do you spell 'WOULD'?"  He is full of dry humor.  . I said, "Well Jimmy I started out writing on an email machine. . They are small and you can't write much. . So that's why I spell would as 'wud'. . I said sometimes I spell would 'wd' "..... I forgot to tell him that Andrew Jackson said that he didn't think very much of a person that couldn't think of more than one way to spell a word. . Jimmy has always said about me that I write for the common person on the street. . I took this as a complement. . But Jimmy is so funny. . he makes me laugh. . He helped me with my computer when he was here. . I appreciated that. . He took Computer Science in college. . But anyway he lives in Australia. . so I don't get to see him and his family that much. . Then here I spell like a hillbilly and Jimmy's wife is an English professor. . Oh GLORIOUS JESUS come down sweet chariots and please take us to Heaven with You....

 

Part 3 "Spiritual Rest"

 

 Well I have been up most of the night . . But I am glad I got some things figured out . . Hopefully I will be peaceful now. . I can see I just have to obey the Lord. . I don't have to be perfect to write. . I just have to obey the Lord and write . . There is no rest like spiritual rest. I pray I will be like little Samuel, when he was a child.  He heard the Lord speak to him and he said, "Speak Lord for thy servant heareth."

 Love Connie

 

 {Note from the administrator: This writing has been gleaned from the archives of Connie's letters. Find out more about the posts on this blog by reading this introduction. }

 

You are invited on a HOME TOUR - a view of the inside of Connie's house. 

* Order Connie's book, "Dear Kitchen Saints," available on Amazon. It is autobiographical and tells the beautiful story of her marriage testimony! You will be encouraged in old time homemaking.*