“I give thanks to God always for you because of the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus…” -1 Corinthians 1:4
How many times have we had plans for our life when someone or something intervenes and sends us in a completely different direction?
Recently the Oklahoma Sooners renewed their rivalry with the Kansas State Wildcats. At the end of the game head coach Bob Stoops hugged his old mentor, K-State head coach Bill Snyder. Snyder had been a coordinator for Iowa when a young Stoops was recruited to play for the Hawkeyes in the late 70’s. Stoops would go on to be an assistant at Kent State but when K-State hired Snyder in 1989 he remembered the young hard-hitting safety and brought him along to coach defense for the Wildcats.
Kansas State was one of the worse football programs in the country before Snyder and Stoops arrived, but they resurrected the program and Kansas State would become a conference power and fixture in the rankings. From there Stoops would go on to become the defensive coordinator for Florida where he helped Coach Steve Spurrier win a national championship and that led to a job as head coach in Norman.
More than likely, Bob Stoops would have been successful where ever he ended up, but what if he and Snyder had not met at Iowa? What if Stoops had stayed closer to his home, Youngstown, Ohio and played college ball for Pitt or Ohio State? That path from Iowa to K-State to Florida and finally to Oklahoma would have been short-circuited. Clearly Bill Snyder was a game changer for Bob Stoops and helped set him on his career path as well as influencing him in so many ways that changed his life.
Our lives are filled with many special people that have helped change the game for us. I hope you will take a moment today and express your gratitude for that special person who has intervened in your life and changed your direction for the better. Write them a note, give them a call; just make sure you take some time to say thank you.
Rev. Dave Poteet, Pastor of Congregational Care
