YOUR STORY MATTERS HERE: Wendy Parrish

By Tim Wesley

Whether riding a raging river or navigating life’s everyday twists and turns, Wendy Parrish believes ceding control to a higher power makes for a smoother journey.

“When I try to control things myself, they always spin out of control, and then I’m calling on God to help me,” she says. “I have found that if I just trust in God and ask Him to help me, He provides. It also helps to remember that it’s not about me; it’s all about Him.”

Take, for example, when Wendy was asked to facilitate a women’s Bible study group for Bible Study Fellowship, an international organization. She had participated in one for several years but hesitated when asked to take on a leadership role.

“I was terrified and didn’t think I was qualified,” she says. “Eventually I realized that no, I can’t do it on my own. But when I asked God to help me, I realized that He would supply everything I needed to be successful.”

Nine years later, Wendy continues to lead a group of about 15 women. In addition to weekly meetings, held at Christ Church at Grove Farm in Sewickley, she prays for each participant and maintains regular contact with them by phone or text.

“I’m just there to help them, encourage them, and be a part of their lives,” she says. “For me, the blessings are amazing. I build relationships with them and encourage them to grow in their faith.”

Many years ago, Wendy grew into a different kind of faith, when she and her college sweetheart (now husband, Brad) were navigating the raging rapids of the Youghiogheny River.

A professional guide, Brad was leading an excursion of about 90 people down the river, with Wendy as the sole passenger in his raft. As they approached Dimple Rock – a large boulder known even then as a life-threatening hazard – Brad instructed her to keep paddling, and they would be fine. Wendy wasn’t convinced.

“We were heading straight for the rock, and I stopped paddling to just hold on,” she says. “Well, I popped out of the raft and into the water. Brad grabbed me and yanked me back in so fast that I was fine, but I guess it didn’t look good to the people watching us, with the guide’s girlfriend in the water.”

They’ve rafted together dozens of times since then, and Wendy hasn’t fallen out again.

“I just listen and paddle really hard now,” she says, with a laugh. “I don’t know if I would ever go down the river unless he was my guide. We have a blast.”

Wendy’s journey through life, when traced on a map, has been circuitous.

Born and raised in Pittsburgh’s South Hills, she graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School and majored in textiles, clothing, and fashion merchandising at West Virginia University, where she met Brad. They married in 1991, had their first son, Bradley, in 1992, and their second son, Blake, in 1999. (Bradley is married and lives in Zelienople; Blake is single and lives in Texas.)

Over the years, Brad’s career at UPS and FedEx took them to Tennessee, Alabama, and Texas, with several stops in the Pittsburgh area. Wendy was a stay-at-home mom until the boys were in school, after which she began working part-time at Kohl’s in the customer service department. For the past 18 years, she’s been on the front lines, helping to keep shoppers happy.

“I love retail, and I really enjoy helping customers,” she says. “Some come in angry, just very flustered and frustrated, and they don’t know where to turn. I smile a lot and treat them with respect. I just talk to them and take care of the situation step by step. If there’s an issue, I can make a call and get everything worked out. It might not always be to their liking, but most of the time they leave with a smile. To take someone from the point of being upset to where they feel like I solved their problem, it’s rewarding.”

And what about those occasions when customers don’t treat her with respect?

“This job has taught me grace, even when customers are rude,” Wendy says. “I still work to extend kindness, grace, and love because that’s what everyone deserves.”

When she worked at a Kohl’s store in Dallas, the community was diverse in religion and culture, and the workforce reflected that mix. Wendy and her colleagues embraced that diversity and sought to learn from it.

“We sometimes talked about our faiths in the break room,” she says. “We had Christians, Muslims, Hindus, even a Wiccan [whose followers practice witchcraft and nature worship]. It was kind of a cool thing. I had a good friend who was a Muslim, and I was just interested in learning about her beliefs, and I could also share mine. For me, it was about asking a lot of questions and listening and sharing my personal story, and not pushing my faith on someone. We have to remember that nobody should question how you feel about your faith and how it has transformed you.”

Wendy says Dutilh has been an important part of her faith for many years. She participates in a women’s Sunday school class and occasionally leads the group. She also serves as a counter for the church offerings and has been involved in the camping ministry.

“The camping ministry served our kids so well; it’s just a way for me to give back,” she says. “Camping was a life-changing experience for our boys.”

The ministry also fits her “really adventurous spirit. We love the outdoors, fishing, hiking, biking, rafting, skiing.”

The family began attending Dutilh in 1996 and has kept coming back.

“We’ve moved seven times and three times we have come back to Dutilh,” she says. “Every time we’ve moved back to the area, we think maybe we’ll try another church, but as soon as we come back, we remember this is home. It’s the family we choose. We’re thankful for the people, and it’s a place where we can be real.”

During the past few months, “real” took on a different meaning, as Brad and the family dealt with his father’s declining health due to a brain tumor, and then his death on July 25. Ron Parrish was 82.

“A great man passed today,” Brad wrote on his Facebook page. “He was my friend, my mentor, my hero, and my Dad. This world just became a little emptier and a little darker. Luckily his legacy will shine through his descendants for many years to come. I’ll miss you, Dad. You’ll never be forgotten.”

This time, it was Wendy’s turn to comfort her husband.

“It’s a tough time for us,” she said, a few weeks before Ron died. “We know he’s going to a better place, but it’s a really hard thing to lose your dad. We’ve been praying for God’s mercy, to take him home.”

Home to peace and comfort, and to where a higher power is always in control.

-Published August 16, 2023

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If you or someone you know in the Dutilh family has an interesting story, send us your ideas! We would love to help tell your story. Email: communications@dutilhumc.org.