Episode 25 - War Eagle on the Narrow Road

In this episode of Flint to Grace, Dr. T.J. Klein reflects on the mentors God places in our lives to guide, challenge, and encourage us along the journey of faith. Sharing personal stories from Germany, Belgium, and Okinawa, he explores how godly leadership can shape both our calling and our character.

Drawing from Proverbs 3:5–6, this episode reminds us to trust God's direction, stay on the narrow road, and recognize the people He uses to point us back to Christ.

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5–6

Theme: Faith, leadership, mentorship, and trusting God's plan.

Transcript

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Welcome back to the Flint to Grace podcast. I'm your host, Dr. T. J. Klein. Thank you for joining me wherever you're listening today, whether you're driving down the road, enjoying a quiet morning with a cup of coffee, taking an evening walk, or simply looking for a few moments to reflect on God's faithfulness. Today's episode is called War Eagle on the Narrow Road. Our focus scripture comes from Proverbs three, five to six. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. As I sit down to record this episode, I find myself reflecting on God's providence. Specifically, I'm thinking about the people God places in our lives at exactly the right moment. People who become mentors, encouragers, and guides along the journey. Looking back over my life, there are several individuals who profoundly shaped my path. But one person stands out in particular, a leader, a mentor, a woman of deep faith and unwavering conviction, someone God used repeatedly to redirect my focus back to Him. Today I want to share that story. I woke up one Christmas Eve reflecting on how unlikely my journey has been years ago before I ever earned my undergraduate degree, before I became a school administrator, before I moved across continents, I knew one thing. I wanted to earn a Doctor of Education degree someday. I remember walking through bookstores and shopping malls, pulling books from shelves and researching universities. I spent hours comparing programs, tuition costs, reputations, and formats. At the time, I was serving in the United States military as a meteorologist. I loved weather. I loved forecasting. I love the science. In fact, one commander once wrote that I was the finest weather forecaster he had ever worked with. He specifically highlighted my ability to forecast critical crosswinds for an aircraft crew in an undisclosed location. That recognition meant a lot to me. Today, those awards still hang on the walls of my office in Okinawa. Yet, if you had told that young meteorologist that one day he would be leading schools, working with children, supporting teachers, writing books, producing a podcast, and living in Japan, I probably would have laughed. Meteorologist to school administrator. That doesn't make much sense on paper, but God's plans rarely do. Scripture tells us that God's ways are higher than our ways. The Lord often writes stories that seem disconnected while we're living them. Only later do we see how the pieces fit together, and along the way, God uses people. Mentors, teachers, pastors, friends, supervisors, people who challenge us, sharpen us, and encourage us to keep moving forward. For me, one of those people has been Melissa. I first met Melissa in Germany. She was serving as the community superintendent while simultaneously filling the role of interim principal. The first thing I noticed about her wasn't her title, it was her character. She was compassionate, driven, empathetic, intelligent, grounded, and completely unapologetic about her faith. She loved the Lord, you could see it in the way she treated people, you could hear it in the way she spoke, you could feel it in the way she led. She possessed a rare combination of strength and kindness, firm conviction without arrogance, clear expectations without cruelty, accountability wrapped in grace. My wife Danny immediately loved her, so did many others, and even when everyone didn't agree with her decisions, she continued serving faithfully. She wasn't trying to win popularity contests, she was trying to be obedient. That's real leadership. Melissa graduated from Auburn University, and in true war eagle fashion, she embodied a quote from legendary Auburn football coach Pat Dye. The will to win is important, but the will to prepare is vital. She prepared. She studied, she learned, she anticipated challenges before they arrived, but more importantly, she cared deeply about the people she served. Eventually Melissa was promoted and moved to Belgium, a larger role, greater responsibility. And once again she hired me. The mentorship continued, the encouragement continued, the growth continued. I still remember conversations where she challenged me to think differently, to lead differently, to trust God more deeply. And then came another promotion, this time to Okinawa, Japan, halfway around the world. And once again, God crossed our paths. Three assignments, two continents, three countries. Three times she became my supervisor. That's not coincidence. That's providence. There is a phrase she often shared with me. Simple, direct, powerful. TJ, keep the course, stay on the narrow road. I've thought about those words many times. Welcome back to the Flint to Grace Podcast. I'm your host, Dr. TJ Klein. There's a phrase that Melissa often shared with me simple, direct, powerful. TJ, keep the course, stay on the narrow road. I've thought about those words many times, especially during difficult seasons, because staying on the narrow road isn't easy. Jesus himself said, Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate, and broad is the road that leads to destruction. The narrow road requires discipline, faithfulness, integrity, patience. It requires choosing obedience when shortcuts seem easier. It requires trusting God when the outcome remains unclear. And that's exactly what mentors help us do. They remind us who we are when we're tempted to forget. They challenge us when we drift. They encourage us when we're discouraged. And sometimes they simply remind us to keep walking. Before we continue, take a moment to think about someone God has placed in your life, a teacher, a parent, a coach, a pastor, a supervisor, someone who helped shape your journey, someone who pointed you toward Christ. One of the greatest gifts God gives us is godly influence. Many times we pray for direction while overlooking the people He has already placed around us. God often answers prayers through relationships. Think about Moses and Jethro, Paul and Timothy, Naomi and Ruth, Jesus and His disciples. God works through people who has spoken truth into your life, who has challenged you to grow, who has encouraged you to remain faithful. Take time to thank them, reach out, send a message, write a note, tell them their investment mattered. At the same time, ask yourself another question. Who are you mentoring? Who are you encouraging? Who are you helping stay on the narrow road? Leadership is not about titles, it's about influence. Every one of us is influencing someone. Children watch parents, employees watch leaders, friends watch friends, neighbors watch neighbors. The question isn't whether we're influencing people, the question is how? Are we pointing people toward Christ? Are we living lives worthy of imitation? Are we demonstrating humility, faithfulness, courage, and grace? And remember this, your career is not separate from your calling. Whether you're a teacher, administrator, soldier, mechanic, nurse, pastor, business owner, or retiree, God can use your work for his kingdom. I never imagined God would take a weather forecaster from Flint, Michigan, and eventually place him in Okinawa, Japan. But he did. And along the way, he placed faithful people in my path to help guide the journey. That's how God works. One step at a time, one mentor at a time, one act of obedience at a time. Stay the course, stay faithful, stay on the narrow road. Because even when the path seems uncertain, God sees every step, and he is leading you exactly where he wants you to be. Let's close in prayer. If you're able, close your eyes. Lord Jesus, thank you for the mentors, teachers, supervisors, pastors, family members, and friends you place in our lives. Thank you for those who challenge us, encourage us, and point us back to you when we begin to drift. Today I thank you especially for Melissa and the tremendous impact she has had on my life and leadership journey. Help us recognize the people you have placed around us as gifts from your hand. Give us humble hearts willing to learn, willing to grow, and willing to receive correction when needed. Help us stay the course. Help us walk the narrow road, and help us become the kind of leaders who point others toward Christ through both our words and our actions. May our work become ministry. May our influence reflect your character, and may our lives bring glory to your name. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for joining me for this episode of the Flint to Grace podcast. If today's episode encouraged you, please consider sharing it with a friend, family member, co-worker, or fellow leader who may need the reminder to stay the course and walk the narrow road. And if you haven't already, I'd be honored if you'd check out my book, Flint to Grace: Real Struggles, Redeeming Grace, available through Amazon and Barnes Noble. The book shares stories of faith, failure, redemption, and God's faithfulness through every season of life. You can also find the Flint to Grace podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Audible, and many other podcast platforms around the world. In addition, the Flint to Grace team is also streamlining our social media presence and other platforms to better get God's truth and promise to all parts of the globe, now reaching 26 countries. Until next time, remember, God is still writing your story. The road may be narrow, the journey may be difficult, but his grace is sufficient for every step. This is Dr. T. J. Klein. Thank you for listening. And as always, from Flint to Grace.