When life’s random turns reveal God’s will

Heather Esker has lived in six states, worked across multiple industries, and collected enough unexpected life turns to fill a book. But where others might see a scattered resume, she sees something far more meaningful: the purposeful hand of God quietly guiding her path. After leaving Ave Maria University and spending four years in residence life at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Esker's journey eventually led her through manufacturing, human resources, and multiple relocations between Wisconsin and Illinois. Each move felt like a new chapter, even when the story didn't entirely make sense at the time.

The real turning point in how Esker understands her winding path came not through a major life event, but through a discovery in her spiritual reading. While living in Minnesota, she encountered St. Alphonsus Liguori's "Uniformity with God's Will" and its challenging invitation to accept life's small, uncontrollable circumstances without complaint. Her first instinct was resistance—especially when the teaching arrived during a January winter. Yet as she began her daily practice of thanking God for the freezing Minnesota air, something shifted in her heart. She learned that God's will is not reserved for major decisions alone but is present in every ordinary, uncomfortable, uncontrollable moment.

Today, Esker serves as Project Coordinator for the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis at the Diocese of Madison, a role she approaches with deep gratitude and trust. Supporting events, logistics, and planning for the "Go Make Disciples" mission, she carries with her the confidence that God has placed her exactly where she needs to be. Her own story has become a living testimony to her colleagues and the faithful she serves: what appears random to us is often God's careful design, leading us precisely where we belong.