Lele Beutel and her husband, Mike, enjoy traveling to new places. They have found that, with each excursion, come opportunities to make a difference in people’s lives and have their own lives changed by others. She considers herself to be a “secret agent” for God because He often leads her into unexpected situations where she’s able to connect with people.
Before retirement, she spent 25 years as a financial advisor and was able to encourage many people mentally, spiritually, and financially through her faith-based approach to planning. Now, she and her husband spend time with their two dogs, Andey and Barney, with grandkids, and as volunteers at their church. They also share experiences with their life group members and the neighbors they meet while walking the dogs.
Lele divulges more about her background…
It was the Summer of Woodstock, and many of my friends went off to “find themselves” amidst the drugs, crowds, and music. Thankfully, I chose, at 16, to go to a Young Life camp in Colorado. One night a man named Jack shared an inspiring and life-changing message to the teens at Pioneer Ranch.
“If you’ve never accepted Jesus into your heart,” he said, “you need to go out right now and invite Him into your life!” He pointed at us, and I felt like he was addressing me. So, I went outside, climbed to the top of a steep hill, kneeled down among some rocks, looked up at the stars, and whispered, “Jesus, I don’t know You. But I want to. Will You come into my heart and be a part of my life?” And that was the beginning of my lifelong spiritual quest.
After this, I reached out to Him often for clarification and direction.
“What do You want me to do?” I would ask. And He always answered my simple questions and requests in amazing and miraculous ways. For example, on a high school skiing trip to Austria, I tried to reach a pen pal who lived in Salzburg. We missed each other in Innsbruck, and when I tried to reach his mother, she was unsure of his whereabouts. So, I prayed as I rode up a ski lift in a distant rural location, near where I was staying with a family.
“Jesus, if you can somehow have him find me in this remote place, I’ll be convinced that you hear me, and I’ll even commit my life to you!’ I vowed. Early the next morning, as I walked down a country rode to meet my friends in the village, my jaw dropped when a car pulled up, stopped suddenly, and my pen pal jumped out! “OK. I get it!” I said as I embraced my friend.
But, after years of studying scriptures, attending Bible classes, and traveling on missions, I realized I was still missing something. A pastor-friend finally opened my eyes.
“Go to your prayer closet,” she explained. “Spend time listening for His voice. If you’ll get to know Him personally, He’ll show you what He wants for you.” So, I set aside time each morning just to listen. And, the more time I spent, the more He revealed to me. I started to see how my life experiences were somehow connected, and I began to understand the significance of the verses I read. My heart was touched and my life was changed.
My books are a compilation of many things He has shown me over the years. By releasing them, my hope is that, as you travel on your own faith journey, they will inspire you and bring you hope as you discover your own purpose and calling. Other books I have written include: The Camino Connection, Connecting with Life and Commemorating a Death While Walking on the Camino de Santiago, about her healing and life-changing journey across the Camino; What God Wants You to Know, a daily devotional that reveals God’s heart relating to passages from Genesis through Revelation; God Answers, a daily devotional with questions and answers to and from God; and Lele’s Selah: Prayerful Poems that Inspire Hope.
