Someone You Should Know: Sandy Nowack

In our Someone You Should Know series, we interview Faith members to help us get to know them, see how God is working in their lives, and make new connections within our community. In this episode we get to know Sandy Nowack.

Meet today's podcast guest: Sandy Nowack

• Automated Transcription

• Seth Weber 0:00
  Today on faith matters, someone you should know, Sandy Nowak,
  
  Seth Weber 0:10
  I'm Seth Weber, and you're listening to faith matters, a podcast designed to help you think biblically in matters of the Christian faith and update you on matters of faith, Bible, church, you music.
  
  Lynn Yount 0:36
  Hello, I'm Lynn, Yount, and I am here with Sandy. Now walk. It's good to have you here. Sandy,
  
  Sandy Nowack 0:41
  Hi, Lynn, glad to be here.
  
  Lynn Yount 0:49
  Well, we want to get to know you, for those in our church who don't know you, so go ahead and let me know kind of your background, where you might have grown up, and any good memories of your childhood? I
  
  Sandy Nowack 1:02
  grew up in the country, in northern Idaho, outside of a little town called Potlatch, Idaho, and my mom still lives down there, and it was a wholesome, nice place to grow up, beautiful scenery, sledding in the winter time, riding bikes in the summer, visiting, making mud pies with my neighbor friend and playing dress up. It was, it was a nice childhood. Oh, wow, did you have brothers and sisters? I have one brother who's five years older than I am. Okay, so what
  
  Lynn Yount 1:32
  led you out of Potlatch and what is your background? Since then,
  
  Sandy Nowack 1:37
  after high school graduation, I wanted to go to a Bible college, and so I went to Multnomah Bible School in Portland, Oregon, and went there for the three year program, and graduated with a minor in journalism. Everybody majored in Bible. And then from there came to Spokane to work and live.
  
  Lynn Yount 1:56
  Oh, okay. Well, where did you get a job? Straight out of Bible school? Well,
  
  Sandy Nowack 2:00
  I had a friend from Bible school. Her dad owned Evangel books center, or bookstore. It was called at that time and I needed a job. And she said, Oh, I think maybe my dad could use you. So I went and interviewed with him, and he gave me a job. I was a cashier and worked at the bookstore and waited on customers, and at that time, I ended up meeting some girlfriends that worked at the bookstore and other places, and lived with a house full of gals. And that was enjoyable. After I'd worked at the bookstore, I ended up working at Spokane mortgage company, and then on to Washington Trust Bank, and through there, one of the men that worked at Washington Trust Bank knew that we were looking for some staff at fourth Memorial Church. That's where I was going to church at the time. So I came on fourth memorial in the church office and worked there. And enjoyed that very much.
  
  Lynn Yount 2:58
  Oh, wow. What year was that? I mean, maybe you don't want to go into actual years. I don't
  
  Sandy Nowack 3:03
  mind. I'm just not sure I remembered. I think that was in 84 and I worked there till 92 and then faith started and left fourth Memorial. I went with faith, Bible Church, and worked in the office faith for another four years. So when people say, How long have you been here? It's like, since the beginning, I've been at Faith, yeah. And then after that, the Lord opened up a doorway, and I went to Whitworth and worked in the Career Services Department, working with students on internships and career and personality development and choices, and was there for 24 years and enjoyed it very much. Oh,
  
  Lynn Yount 3:44
  wow, that's so exciting. So you've had just kind of a path that wound around Spokane mostly, and through churches and faith institutions like Whitworth and what have you like learned from your work?
  
  Sandy Nowack 4:00
  Well, one thing I heard a speaker at Whitworth say it always kind of bothered me that I didn't have a clear pathway of where I would work, what I would do, career pathway. And this speaker had said, some people received the Paul call. God told him, go and I will make you a preacher to the Gentiles. This is my calling for you and other people have the Abraham call, which is, follow me and I'll show you a place where we will go. And that was a real relief to me, because I just never quite knew where I would go, but each place was God's leading and ended up enjoying it, and it was the right thing.
  
  Lynn Yount 4:39
  So are you retired now? I am retired. Yes, okay, all right, well, let's back up a little bit. You'd gone to a Bible college. So how did you come to know Christ? In the beginning, we
  
  Sandy Nowack 4:50
  had a little country church called freeze Community Church. We started going there when I was probably about four years old, and I I loved Vacation Bible School and Sunday. School. And then when I was about seven, the pastor's wife talked to us about receiving Christ. And actually, when I was about four, I had done that, but I didn't understand it. I remember that teacher was so thrilled. And I kind of thought, Ah, shucks, anybody could have done it. And I thought, let's go out and play drop the hankies. So so I know it wasn't I didn't understand it. I knew it was something I wanted to do, but I didn't quite know why. But at age seven, I did know why, and I understood it, and so I asked Christ into my life, and thankfully, it's was a steady progression. I'm not saying I've done everything right, but I didn't have a time of falling away or of doubting my faith. I knew that Christ had saved me. My fourth grade Sunday School teacher had us do memorization, and we had little prizes if we learned our verses, and we learned a lot of them, and most and much of the scripture that I still know today came from that time, when I was a fourth and fifth grade student. Yes,
  
  Lynn Yount 6:03
  I remember going to Ian. A lot of those verses are still in there. Yeah. Helps to learn them young, even if you don't really know exactly what they mean at that point, it does. Yeah, wow. That's incredible. Do you have family in town? Are you? Do you have any family that you still are in touch with,
  
  Sandy Nowack 6:21
  yeah, well, my mom and my brother still live in the Potlatch area, and my brother has two kids, and they have children, so that's kind of my home base. And I go down there my mom part of my life ministry, I guess, is just helping my mom along. She's 99 years old, and Lord willing, she'll be 100 in July, and she is awfully frail. And so it's, we don't know how you know how long the Lord will have her here, but that is quite a bit. I go down there a couple of times a month just to help her and to and my brothers nearby. So he helps her all the time. And so, yeah, that's the family I have here, have there. I didn't marry, didn't have kids. I always tease my mom. I gave her grand cats because I have some cats so
  
  Lynn Yount 7:09
  but, yeah, yeah. Well, tell me, who are your cats,
  
  Sandy Nowack 7:13
  Missy and Milo. And they're both black and white, but, and they've been real dear to me and I, about a month ago, Missy got pretty sick, and I had to take her into the vet. And they thought they were just going to clean some teeth, but it turned out she had a heart episode while they were doing that right at the end. And so she was very sick, and they found out she had an enlarged heart. So it was so sad. I went in and there just really wasn't any she was almost 12 years old, and it wouldn't have she wouldn't have lasted long, and they can't do much for that heart condition. So they, I said I wanted to say goodbye to her, so they let me hold her and talk to her, and I sang her a little song I always sing, and I it was, you know, very hard, as you know, anybody who loves animals knows, but God was gracious in that she was already there, had already had anesthesia, and they could just go ahead and add some more to take her. So a dear friend from church here came and helped me bury her. And that, again, is the church body helping with those day by day things that you need the help with. And when I got home after that, I was, I was just really sad. And of course, I had cried throughout the day, and I thought, well, I'll just read the Psalms. And it fell open to Psalm 50, and I looked down and I had circled two verses from before, and they were the ones that say, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on 1000 hills, I know, every bird of the mountains and every animal that moves in the field is mine. And my heart was just so touched by the Lord's kindness that he would just bring that to me when I needed it. I've read those verses before, but the fact that at this point, when my heart was hurting, he and his compassion just reminded me I knew Missy, i She was mine, she is fine, and so that gave me great comfort and helped ease the pain. And then I did give the veterinarian's office a card, and just thank them for their care for her, and thank them for giving me somewhat of a credit because she passed away. And I put those verses in there and just said, you know this God knows the work you're doing and knows the animals. And I thought, well, the Lord uses even a little cat to spread His word when, when he deems it so, so, wow, yeah,
  
  Lynn Yount 9:43
  wow. It's really encouraging to hear you see it that way, and to just know that he cared for you and in that moment, yeah, yes. Well, can you tell me a little bit about what you've been involved with in ministry? I. Faith.
  
  Sandy Nowack 10:00
  My main ministry is greeting at the church doors, and I like that. It uses my gift of encouragement. I'm able to reach out to people and greet them, and a lot goes on at the door just in the way of sharing, sometimes their hearts, sometimes mind, sometimes just a word of encouragement or a scripture we've learned with people that we know, and then, of course, welcoming new people as part of to come and be welcome in our church. And I find great joy in doing that. It's a ministry that I enjoy and love. And then I've done a couple of times faith in five just going out into the neighborhoods and passing out, passing out the flyers and welcoming people. And then I'm involved in a small group. I've been in the same one for a lot of years, and that's been good. Oh, great. Yeah, I do want to tell you about one, though I call it spirit led evangelism. And it just seems like at times, God will push on me, as he does on all of our hearts and and nudge us to go talk to that person. And so I'm always scared, but I always find joy in it. And oh, maybe it was about a year ago, I was coming back up home, home to my house from my mom's, and I was running late, and each way, it seemed like my path was blocked. I forgot something. I had to go back for it. I had to drop a gift off to my aunt, and I was racing to get back to Spokane before it closed at six. It was a Saturday, and I just skidded in there and ran in to get my stuff. And I kept running into this woman who we crossed paths, and she was friendly, and so we chit chatted, and she watched my basket while I had to run get something else. And then she was behind me, and I checked out. And all the time God was nudging me to speak with her about Christ, and I felt shy. I didn't feel like I was up to it. I was so hassled and hectic that day, I thought, I don't have anything to say, really, but he kept, he kept after and pursuing. And so I'm pushing my card out after that, and we're walking out together, and the Lord's nudging me, and I'm like, I don't think I can do it. And so we we get out to the where the cards you leave them, and I felt like such a failure. I just said, Well, nice to talk to you. See you. And I thought, What is wrong with you? That was a god opportunity. So I went out to my car feeling pretty defeated. And one way I got to the car there, our cars were parked bumper to bumper. We were both putting our things in the trunk. And I thought, Okay, Lord, I get it. So I just said to her, I'm not sure what I asked her. I said, Have you ever wondered about if you know you can go to heaven? Some, some question like that. And she said, Oh my goodness. And I thought she's going to hit me. She's gonna she's gonna lay into me. I thought she's not liking this, but she said, Oh my goodness. I have thought about that almost every day. And I was just stunned. I thought, there it is, God, you have done this. These six different roadblocks you've put in my way were for a purpose. So I talked to her, I gave her a track. I explained it that you can know, and you can you know, receive Christ. Well, she didn't at that point, and she did say she has a church that I think she's either involved in or could go to, but there was she may have been a believer, but there was that lack of clarity in her heart. And to me, it just stuns me how God pursues not only them, but us, and pushes us and shows us the open doorway, even when it's not comfortable. And I think of Paul praying that that he would have the courage to speak of Christ as He ought to. And I, I think that's a prayer that I need to pray a lot more, yeah,
  
  Lynn Yount 13:47
  yeah, that spirit led evangelism. Is that what you called it? Yeah? That has to be very prayerful, I would imagine, because you can't just know whose heart is ready and yeah. Just have to be open,
  
  Sandy Nowack 14:00
  yeah, and I do quite a bit of just handing out tracks in grocery stores, in, you know, different outside the dollar store. Actually, a young man prayed with me. He was there and waiting for a bus. And, you know, you never know how the Lord will use it. You God only knows their hearts. But often, I a little phrase I think God has given me I just say, I don't mean to be too forward, but I wondered if you know how how to have eternal life. And it seems like I've not had many people. I've had a few turn away and not want to talk about it. But often, I think people are hungrier for to know about Christ than we think they are, and even if they don't accept at that moment in time, God is using us to plant seeds and to, you know, give open doors. Yeah?
  
  Lynn Yount 14:48
  I mean that one woman saying, I've been thinking about this for my whole life, and here you are at this little appointment that we had the divine appointment. Yeah, amazing. Wow, that's. Really cool. I'm really encouraged by your just willingness to do what's uncomfortable and show us that you know you're still alive. You haven't died of embarrassment or anything else. Right from just coming up to people who might need to hear, yeah, well, they do need to hear the gospel
  
  Sandy Nowack 15:18
  well. And one thing that really had encouraged me, I ended up taking the evangelism class here at faith, and Dustin led it. Dustin and his wife, Teresa, and that was a big encouragement. They used Ray Comfort videos, and it really was an impetus to keep after it and that it's not that hard. And watching how Ray Comfort, the evangelist would speak to people, it just amazed me how he would just, you know, ask them, and and he went a lot from using the law, do you think you're a good person, and then showing them what the Bible says and why you aren't a good person. And so, you know, I'm never quite sure which method to use, but again, it's sort of how the Lord leads that. But I would encourage, I hope we have that class again. And I would encourage people to take it. It is well worth the time. And just the encouragement that you get and the motivation to keep talking to people about Christ, our time is short here, and so if we can use it for him, we want to, yeah,
  
  Lynn Yount 16:24
  yeah. Thank you for that encouragement. Well, I feel like you've been sharing quite a bit of this. But what is God teaching you right now?
  
  Sandy Nowack 16:34
  You know, there's a verse in Luke 18 where Christ said people ought always to pray and not lose heart. And that has stuck with me. We ought to pray. We ought to pray. And so I'm he's teaching me to take my problems and my worries and fears and to pray them through the grid of Scripture. Like an example is the Proverbs, three, five and six. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding and all your ways, acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths. And I think where that came into play, it was maybe within the last two years, I was having car troubles, and some of the gages weren't working, and when I took it into the dealership, they said, Well, we're not sure what that is, we could replace all the gages. And, well, why would I spend $1,500 for a maybe so anyhow. But I was really conflicted, because they had that lock in time that they would do it until, you know, like a certain date and that was coming, so I didn't know what to do. And I felt just really wrangled. I was like, Lord, I don't know what to do. I don't know where you know. And so God brought that verse to my heart. So I prayed it through. And I said, Lord, I'm trusting you. I don't want to lean on my own understanding. I'm acknowledging you. Would you direct my path? And so then I said, Lord, I need to make a decision, because that deadline. So I'm going to go ahead and get it done, unless you show me otherwise. Please direct my steps. And so then a friend of mine said, You ought to try our mechanic, because I think he he might not lead you that way. He said, Yeah, I don't. I'm not sure that will fix it. So I wouldn't do it. So I didn't, I just kind of went with it for the next year or so. Well, this January, I took my car into the dealership, and it was for something else, a fuel pump recall. And so when it was there, one of the young men that worked in the office, he I happened to tell him about this deal with the gages, and he said, Oh yeah, that's the the gage cluster. He said, We can fix that. And I said, really? And he said, Well, yeah, it'll cost about $1,500 he said, but I think your warranty covers it. So he checked the warranty. Sure enough, I had to pay a deductible of $109 and I was just astounded. In God's timing, he just opened it up, and I would have gone ahead and spent that money, and, you know, done it the first time, but God directed my steps. And I love that assurance that when we lay it before him and and I like that saying, Lord, here's my plan. Now, will you direct my steps? And he's done that in a lot of areas, and it saved me a lot of times when I would have maybe made a decision that wouldn't have been the best. So it's just, wow, yeah, it's so fun to have the Lord with us.
  
  Lynn Yount 19:32
  Yes, I just think that's really encouraging, as a lady who was single for a lot of years, and when you just feel like you're on your own making some of the decisions you're not on your own. No, you have the best, wisest person with you, and if you actually ask you will direct your steps. That is really exciting. Well, put
  
  Sandy Nowack 19:54
  Yes, I think that's one of Satan's biggest lies, is that we don't have any help and we. Like, you know, we are on our own, and who can we turn to? I just think that's a very effective why he uses on many of us. Yeah,
  
  Lynn Yount 20:07
  well, how can the church be praying for you right now? Well,
  
  Sandy Nowack 20:11
  I would just like wisdom, I think, in making just life decisions, just everyday decisions, and with my mom being so elderly, and her health is not real good, and it just day by day is kind of stressful. You don't know if you're doing the right things you're trying to help. And so I think just in making those decisions, wisdom to know what what is best for her and for how to help her. And then I think a big one is just surrender to do what God wants me to do, when and how. And I I think that's always a challenge. And I wanted to tell you about a book you had asked me what book I like. Oh, yeah, and there's one that I have been gone back to through the years. It's by Elizabeth Elliot, and it's, it's called the path of loneliness, but the subtitle is finding your way through the wilderness to God. There's one chapter in there, make me a little cake, and it just makes me cry every time I read it. It's as she goes through the loss of her husband, and she finally just comes to the point where she said, Lord, I don't I don't have anything to give. What do you want from me? And basically, through that story of Elijah and the woman of make me a little cake first, then, you know, I'll provide for you. But through that story, he assured her that he could use her nothingness, her pain, her total despair, God could still use it. And then the next chapter is on the glory of surrender, I think, or no, the glory of sacrifice. And there's just all of those. They're short chapters that you don't have to spend a lot of time, but they really carry an impact. I just, I recommend that. Book, okay,
  
  Lynn Yount 22:00
  yeah, I haven't read that particular one, but Elizabeth Elliot is so, yeah, relatable. She's been through some stuff, and God's been faithful. Is there anything else you want to add before we go into this speed round?
  
  Sandy Nowack 22:14
  Yeah, a life first that God gave me when I was a college age, and I just know I was struggling with some worries and things, and God brought this verse to me, and it's always been such a comfort. It's Hebrews 12, actually, verses one through three. But the gist of it is, let us run with endurance, the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of faith. For consider Him who endured such hostility by sinners so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. And what I found comfort in at that point in my life, I was searching, what am I going to do? What, what? How will I know? And that verse says we don't get to choose our race. It's set before us, but God tells us how to run it, and that's with endurance and with our eyes fixed on Jesus. And those three things have comforted me, because I don't always know what my race is, but God keeps setting things before me, and he is as we fix our eyes on Him, we won't grow weary and lose heart. Those are comforting words that kind of keep us going when there's confusion and we know we can always go to him.
  
  Lynn Yount 23:30
  Yeah, he knows where he's going, even if I don't, it's kind of back to your Abraham call, isn't it? It's follow me, you know, I'll show you where to do, where to go. Yeah. Okay, well, let's, let's move into the speed round. It should be by nature, Speedy.
  
  Sandy Nowack 23:55
  Cats are dogs. Cats. Yes, that's what I have. But I love dogs too. I grew up with dogs.
  
  Lynn Yount 24:01
  Do you put pineapple on pizza? Yes. What's your favorite, like band or music style or music artist,
  
  Sandy Nowack 24:08
  two groups that I really like are Casting Crowns and Mercy Me. What's
  
  Lynn Yount 24:12
  your favorite movie or TV show, Fiddler on the Roof? What's a favorite surprise gift you may have gotten years and
  
  Sandy Nowack 24:19
  years ago, when I had first, you know, gotten my jobs, and I had a black and white TV, and I was okay, you know, it was fine. Well, come Christmas time, they gave out the gifts, and I got, like, a little box of chocolates and a tea towel. And I thought, well, that's really great. And everybody else was opening these big gifts. And I thought, well, nothing to do here. I'll go get a cup of coffee. And so I wandered into the kitchen, got a cup of coffee, and came back and kind of looked around Well, when I had been gone, here was a big gift, and it was covered with a blanket, and it had my name on it. And I'm like, Whoa, what's that? And so it was a color TV, and. Wow, bigger sized one. And so that was probably the most surprised I've ever been. They really tricked me on that.
  
  Lynn Yount 25:07
  Well, what would you do with any extra time if you didn't have to sleep?
  
  Sandy Nowack 25:12
  Oh, I was gonna say take a nap. I'd still take a nap.
  
  Lynn Yount 25:17
  What's your favorite place to eat out in Spokane? Well, I love
  
  Sandy Nowack 25:21
  clinker daggers. I love their coffee and the view by the river and their food and their service is so nice, and that's a special place.
  
  Lynn Yount 25:30
  Is there anything else that I didn't ask you that you just really want to share?
  
  Sandy Nowack 25:34
  I just want to say how, especially, I think, for all people, but especially for single people, the church is really like a family. And when you ask me, Do I have family in Spokane? No, not relatives, but I the church family has helped me so much over the years, and both, you know, emotionally and encouraging, but in physical aspects too. You know, if you really need something, you can turn to them not to abuse their you know, time and take advantage of but it's so encouraging to know that you've got that family. I think
  
  Lynn Yount 26:09
  Sandy is someone you should know. Faith, Bible, church. Thanks for being with us, Sandy, thanks
  
  Sandy Nowack 26:14
  for having me. It was a pleasure.

Lynn Yount

Lynn and her husband, Doug, lead a Growth Group. Lynn serves as a writer and editor for Living Faith magazine and other church communications.

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