I Was Fired for Being on Fire

“The things you do when you’re young that you get fired for are the same things that years later they give you a lifetime achievement award for.” – Al Pacino

From November 1982 to April 1983, I worked a series of part-time jobs. I had just completed six months as a travel agent with Liberty Travel but knew that I didn’t want to make that my career. And so, I took whatever jobs were available to help make my car payments and one of them was making deliveries for a local florist.

God was really working in my heart at that time, preparing me for my life’s calling in prison ministry, but one of the first steps was hearing a man speak at Bethel Baptist Church in Cherry Hill NJ. He represented ABWE – the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism – and he wasn’t a very gifted orator but that didn’t stop God from pricking my heart with his words. In fact, I was so moved by his message that we set up a lunch appointment to discuss the possibility of me becoming a missionary with his organization.

I clocked out of work and hustled over to Olga’s Diner in Marlton where we had a great lunch and an in-depth conversation about life on the mission field. I was so entranced that I lost track of the time and by the time I got back to work, my boss was furious. He wasn’t interested in my explanation and fired me on the spot… and rightfully so.

And yet, God didn’t give up on me because within a year I was walking down the aisle at Haddon Heights Baptist Church to surrender my life to full-time Christian service… and less than four years after that, I was walking into prison for the first time with a Christian softball team to share my faith.

The zeal I had for God and the passion I had for souls remain undiminished 40 years later.

“For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” Romans 11:29 (NKJV)

“…being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 (BSB)

- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President