The Day God Redirected My Life's Plans

“Jesus’ College is the only one in which God’s truth can be really learned; other schools may teach us what is to be believed, but Christ’s alone can show us how to believe it.” – C.H. Spurgeon

My original plans, upon graduating high school, were to major in political science at Rutgers University, then go to law school, and then pursue a career in politics.

But then I met Jesus… and without me realizing it at the time, He orchestrated events to change the direction of my life. Before I knew it, I was majoring in Athletic Administration at St. John’s University in New York and then transferring to Temple University in Philadelphia, where I earned a B.S. in Community Recreation with Summa Cum Laude honors.

All it took was a suggestion from an uncle who I looked up to get me to change majors, and a combination of homesickness and lovesickness to get me to switch schools. But ultimately, it was God who directed each of those steps behind the scenes.

He was also the one who led me to take a job as recreation director at a Christian retirement community and to serve there for 11 years, learning how to manage staff, volunteers, and a budget while organizing special events, overnight trips, and direct mail fundraising campaigns. All those job skills became essential tools when God directed me to launch America’s first-ever athletic prison ministry in 1987… and I still use them today.

I used to tell people that I learned more during my first six months of full-time employment than I did in four years of college, and that remains true. But it is even more accurate to say that I have learned more “sitting at the feet of Jesus” over the past 50 years than from any teacher, classroom, or textbook.

As Charles Spurgeon once said…

“Had it not been for the love of Jesus we should have remained to this moment in utter ignorance, for without His gracious opening of our understanding, we could no more have attained to spiritual knowledge than an infant can climb the pyramids, or an ostrich fly up to the stars. The most unlearned of men become ripe scholars in the school of grace when the Lord Jesus by His Holy Spirit unfolds the mysteries of the kingdom to them and grants the divine anointing by which they are enabled to behold the invisible.”

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord replied, “you are worried and upset about many things. But only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42 (BSB)

- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President