I had the privilege to student teach in a small town near Lubbock. It was the first time that Tech had sent students to surrounding communities. Joe Wood was the superintendent and was a genuine man of God. He left a much better job in San Antonio because God told him to move to West Texas. I learned so much from him about dedication and integrity.
I loved the system and applied for a job. When I interviewed for a job, he told me, “I don’t have a job for you, but let’s pray about it.” And we kneeled in his office and did just that. That was the last I heard about the position until Joe invited the four students in our group to a board meeting at the end of student teaching to discuss our experience. He explained the protocol, and then told me, “Jan, you won’t be able to stay for the business meeting since we are voting on hiring you.”
I saw Joe live his faith at church and work, but one of my fondest memories was the night of a band concert. We had revival services at church, and Joe told the band director he needed to schedule the concert after church that evening.
I was helping the band director set up for the concert. We were both first- year teachers, and he went on and on about how inconvenient it was to have the concert at 8:00 in the evening. I will never forget his words, “This is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Who’s running this school anyway, God or Joe Wood?”
Suddenly there was the greatest rumble of thunder and lightning flash that filled the band hall. We both stood in shock, and the band director turned to me and said, “Forget I asked!”
Everything Joe Wood did was God-led, and he made no apologies for his beliefs. He was a dedicated and regular member at his church; he was approachable as a boss: and he was fair as a parent when I taught both his children. I married and moved on, but I never forgot this incredible man. After a while he moved on to an executive position at a small Baptist college, but I never forgot his witness and belief in an all-powerful God who directed our paths.
Joe passed away in the mid -70s. In the thirty-four years I taught, I worked for some good men, but this man left an impression that’s lasted fifty years. I feel sure that when he reached heaven, “God said, Well done.”
I’ve thought about that question in the band hall several times over the years. In my life, actions, work, and relationships – who’s in charge? Me? Or God? I challenge you to ask the same question yourself. In the still quiet moment, will you hear the roar of thunder? I long for that affirmation that others can see Jesus in me.
“Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.”
Proverbs 3:3 NIV