VL - Issue 40 - July 2021

“NO EYE HAS
SEEN, NO EAR
HAS HEARD,
AND NO MIND
HAS IMAGINED
WHAT GOD
HAS PREPARED
FOR THOSE
WHO LOVE
HIM.”
1 CORINTHIANS 2:9
her to marry me. I know, that was a crazy thought!
Believe me, I told myself the same thing. I mean, I
knew nothing about her.
We said hello, and then I told her that I would be
cutting in front of her on the ski-ride list. As the boat
driver, I could randomly insert myself on the list
for my personal training. It was a perk I was happy
to take advantage of that day. I needed a reason to
spend time with her.
Through a bit of small conversation over that day,
I learned that Vennesa was an Australian athlete
who was in the US—alone—to make a run at qualifying
for the elite World Water Ski Championships.
She had chosen to train with Chet to reach her goals.
What she didn’t know was that her decision would
lead her to God and to a new life as a US resident.
Every time I spoke with Vennesa, butterflies of
excitement took flight in my stomach. It took a little
longer than it should have for me to get brave
enough to ask if she’d like to go out together with
some friends later that week. To my delight, she
said yes, and we made plans. I was excited to get to
know her better away from the lake crowd and in an
environment where I would be more comfortable
asking questions.
But when I got home that afternoon, I found an
email from Vennesa. I was disappointed to see she
was canceling our plans. But then, my eye
caught the next line, and hope returned.
Earlier that day I’d been talking to a skier
from the UK about going to church that
Wednesday night. Apparently, Vennesa
had overheard this conversation, and she
asked in the email if she could join us. I
think my heart stopped. “This is amazing!”
I thought. “Not only is she absolutely gorgeous,
but she’s a believer too!”
It didn’t take long for me to learn that
she wasn’t actually a believer. Turns out,
even she couldn’t believe she’d rescheduled
our plans in order to attend church.
Now that I think about it, jetlag might have
played a bigger role in Vennesa’s dedicating
her life to Christ than I did! I was simply
a tool God used to give her a ride to church
that night so she could make the biggest
decision of her life.
It’s been eight years since that first
church date. Vennesa is now a woman of
unshakeable faith. First Corinthians 2:9
NLT describes exactly how I feel when I
think about our relationship: “No eye has
seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has
imagined what God has prepared for those
who love him.”
I don’t want to take this verse out of context,
but it’s true: I could not have imagined
that God would bring someone like
Vennesa into my life. She is loving, patient,
generous, and a million other things, but
most importantly, she is a child of God and
an avid follower of Jesus. And that heart
surrendered to Him makes her even more
beautiful to me.
God’s plan was perfect, even when I
wasn’t expecting it. He knew my dreams
before I did, and He met them more perfectly
than I could have planned. He knows
your dreams and expectations too, and
He will exceed them, whatever they are.
Keep praying toward that end, and in the
meantime, trust God’s perfect timing and
His way.
NOAH VIEKE is an elite water-ski instructor. He
and his wife, Vennesa, are world-class water skiers
who travel internationally, competing and using
water skiing as a means to share the goodness of
God with others.
PHOTO BY ELIZABETH BELFER
24 Issue 03 / 2021 VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM