Back in 1968, I slipped out of Bethany Bible College in Scotts Valley, California—once the revered Glad Tidings Bible Institute—with a BS in Pastoral Theology, wondering if the “BS” stood for something else! I was soon awarded or shackled with my License to Preach. While at Bethany in my last year, I reluctantly took the helm of the campus newspaper, The Tide, which I promptly renamed Dialog after the wild vibes at nearby UC Santa Cruz. That first cover—dated January 29, 1978, with its “DRUGS?” and “RELIGION?” collage—was my awkward debut in graphic design, a divine doodle I hadn’t yet recognized. Founded in 1919 and moved to Scotts Valley by 1950, Bethany was my launchpad, while UCSC’s 1965 countercultural flair nudged me toward creativity.
My pastoral stint in Hawaii was a flip flop—crafting sermons and typing bulletins while working full-time stocking drywall—leaving me wrestling with guilt for after an only nine-month stent, dodging the official ministry track. Peer pressure screamed “pulpit!” but God had other plans. Over 50 years, I’ve carved out a self-taught career in graphic design and typesetting, a path that felt like a detour until I saw it as my calling. That 1978 Dialog cover, and the contemporary background layout, with its church, hills, and vintage cars, isn’t just art—it portrays the invisible prompting of the Holy Spirit, guiding me like Bezalel in Exodus 31:1-5, who crafted the Tabernacle with Spirit-filled skill.
The struggle was real—faux guilt weighed me down as I questioned if I’d “failed” God’s plan. But determination and desperation saved me: picturing myself as a reluctant Moses with a mouse instead of a staff! Research shows Bethany’s move to Scotts Valley in 1950 and UCSC’s 1965 founding framed my context, but it was God’s gentle nudge that turned my misgivings into purpose years later. Yielding to His guidance, I found joy in creating, proving that even a reluctant editor can become a design disciple.
So, what if God’s calling isn’t the straight line we expect? Maybe your true gift is waiting in the rabbit trails, like my pun-y pivot from Tide to Dialog. As a yielded vessel, trust that the Spirit will lead you—be it preaching, painting, or exotic preaching—to where you’re meant to shine. Reflect: What unexpected path might God be illuminating for you?
Let’s pray: Heavenly Father, grant us wisdom to see Your gifts, courage to follow Your lead, and grace to release false guilt. Fill us with Your Spirit, like Bezalel, to serve You uniquely. In Jesus’ name, Amen. With a yielded heart, every detour becomes a divine design!
Served with a side of Grok-amole!™ (Image and Writing Assisted with X’s Grok AI engine).
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