On January 31,
2014 San Diego Christian was blessed with the rare opportunity to hear from a
crucial member of our staff, Vice President of Advancement and Administration
Robert Jensen. He only had one major point to get across: “true perspective is
the centrality of Christ in our lives.” While speaking in chapel, he recalled a
trying experience that involved his wife having to be taken to the hospital,
after being dead for several minutes. She was resuscitated twice, once in a hotel
room and again in the hospital where the doctor who treated her showed him a
flat-line reading of her pulse for several minutes. After this, the doctor
could only conclude that it was a miracle she is alive today. Jensen proclaimed
that it was a wake up call from God in his own life. Jensen acknowledged that
at the time this occurred, he wasn’t living within God’s plan for his life and
that he was “trying to be the captain of his own ship.” He made reference to
two scriptures in chapter 8 of Romans. Keying on the second part of verse 28
“according to His purpose” he asked the question “are you making this life for
yourself?” Jensen says, “It is only by God’s grace that anything happens.” The
other verse that Jensen acknowledged was Romans 8:38-39. He then proceeded to
ask the question, “Why do you think we moved here?” Jensen said, “we didn’t
move here so that we can have nice buildings.” He said that San Diego Christian
is mission driven and that the school was meant to make an impact on the city,
as well as the world. He reminded the
students that the staff and faculty are by no means perfect, but they do strive
to be role models everyday. He said that every time we choose to deal with the
local businesses near the college it is an opportunity to show them who we are
and what we stand for, which is a college that is Christ-centered.
When I consider my
own life after hearing what Jensen had to say, I have to admit I am guilty of
thinking I know what is best. It is one of those mistakes that we all make as a
result of our flesh. In the end, I realize it is my pride talking trying to
cover up the fact that in truth I am a broken individual that really has no
idea what I am doing half the time and I am just making it up as I go.
Thankfully, our God is not the type of God that wings it. He knows what He is
doing, and He knows what we need. Sometimes, it’s a gentle nudge, and other
times it’s our wife lying dead on our bed for several minutes. Regardless of
how he chooses to get our attention, it very well may be at a time when you are
least prepared. Robert Jensen as well as the staff and faculty know this to be
true, and this is one of the reasons that the college was created in the first
place. It was created with the hope that with the educational and Biblical
teachings that you receive, you will be better prepared to face those divine
wake up calls just around the bend.
-Devin Gallagher
