Apparently, this story has been floating around the Web for a while, but I was just made aware of it by my manager, and I want to make sure YOU'RE aware of it, too. It's attributed to Col. James Moschgat, and tells the story of an unassuming janitor who made a big difference in a lot of lives.
To entice you to read the whole thing:
Maybe it was his physical appearance that made him disappear into the background. Bill didn't move very quickly and, in fact, you could say he even shuffled a bit, as if he suffered from some sort of injury. His gray hair and wrinkled face made him appear ancient to a group of young cadets. And his crooked smile, well, it looked a little funny.
Face it, Bill was an old man working in a young person's world. What did he have to offer us on a personal level?
I am currently in Month Six of a 9-month contract, working as a Technical Writer for a large, multi-national corporation. The project I'm working on involves the company analyzing its sales data, coming up with a set of business solutions that works for at least 80% of its customers, and packaging those solutions so they get installed and configured the same way, with the same quality, each and every time. It's all meant to increase consistency, assure quality, and drive down costs. In the course of writing up release announcements and internal promotional pieces for the whole shebang, I've been looking at quotes about standardization, excellence, and consistency. In that context, I became enamored with something attributed to Aristotle.
Add to that a major point in the teaching series I recently began going through with the Senior Highers at my church about how the whole world can be made a better place by each of us making the part of the world we touch a little better, one day at a time. Which brought to mind a quote from Rich Mullins:
I would like to encourage you to...start realizing that your ministry is how much of a tip you leave when you eat in a restaurant; when you leave a hotel room whether you leave it all messed up or not; whether you flush your own toilet or not. Your ministry is the way that you love people. And you love people when you write something that is encouraging to them, something challenging. You love people when you call your wife and say, "I'm going to be late for dinner," instead of letting her burn the meal. You love people when maybe you cook a meal for your wife sometime, because you know she's really tired. Loving people - being respectful toward them - is much more important than writing or doing music.
And then the cherry on top is when my friend Shonda Judy posted this on her Facebook page:
Truth is...It seems God is using the very method He's talking about to try to get a message through to me.
Beloved posted a link to an article on her Facebook timeline with the note, "Worth the read!" Being an excellent husband, I clicked, read, decided she was right, and determined to share it with all of you. Bronwynn Lea is (among other things) a blogger who posts her musings at bronlea.com. The particular article that commands our attention today is titled "One little word that radically changed my prayers," and I think it has the potential to change yours, as well. As an enticement for you to read the whole piece ("whole piece"... ha!... oxymoron), I think just this one phrase is needed: Instead of praying "God, make it better," I need to pray "God, make it count."
It was a simple enough question. I was beginning a seven-week stint as guest teacher of the Senior High Sunday School class at my church, and as a way to break the ice and give me an idea of what kind of students I was going to be with for the next month-and-a-half, I asked them, "What are you looking forward to this coming year?" It really was a simple question...and I pretty much got simple answers: "My birthday next month." (When you'll be turning how old?) "16." "I dunno." (Yes you do.) "Getting my driver's license, I guess." "Graduating." And then, the one student in the group with Down Syndrome gave her answer. Because of her muddy speech, I couldn't really understand what she said, but what she lacked in clarity, she more than compensated for with enthusiasm. SOMEthing was going to happen in this young person's coming calendar year and she was REALLY looking forward to it with great anticipation!
When a guy like me gets to be the age I'm getting to be, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot left to look forward to. Instead of "the best is yet to come", it's more like "those were the days, my friend." And yet, my 9-month contract position comes to an end in April. And yet, I am in the midst of interviews for a possible full-time gig with the company. And yet, my grandkids are getting old enough to really start forming memories of life-with-Grandpa. And yet, this year will be full of firsts...the first time I've ever been this old, with this kind of experience and knowledge, with these kinds of friends, with this particular motivation, with this long of a marriage relationship backing me up. Truth is...I've got a lot to look forward to. And so do you. And may we all have a happy new year.
With thanks to Delanceyplace.com, for their quote from Marilyn and Me, by Susan Strasburg: Susan Strasburg, daughter of famed acting instructor Lee Strasburg, had her star turn on Broadway originating the role of Anne Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank. Nominated for a Tony Award at the age of 18, she became the youngest actress to star on Broadway with her name above the marquee title. Here she recounts seeking feedback from award-winning actor Sir Laurence Olivier: "As much as I loved doing Anne Frank, it now overwhelmed me. After a year and a half, the high emotional pitch of the performance had taken a toll on my energy and psyche. I was getting every germ that floated into Manhattan. I was losing weight, unable to eat. The year before, [Lee Strasburg student] Marilyn [Monroe] had brought Laurence Olivier to see the play. Afterward he'd been very complimentary. As we were taking publicity photos, all smiling our best airline stewardess smiles, I'd pleaded, "Please, Sir Laurence ..." " 'Larry,' he'd insisted. " 'Please ... Sir ... Larry, tell me what you really thought.' He cleared his throat. 'Well, dear child,' he'd said precisely, 'half the effort would have had twice the effect.' "I was devastated. My smile evaporated, as did his. The flash popped, and the moment was stamped indelibly on film, and on my ego. Marilyn came to my defense. 'She does that because she cares. She wants the people who came to see her to get their money's worth.' I was grateful to her.
"It was true I'd asked, but he didn't have to tell me. He was supposed to be an English gentleman. I knew how the actress felt who had screamed at my father backstage after her opening night, 'How dare you come back here and tell me the truth?' "
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Truth is...sometimes the truth hurts. No wonder the apostle Paul encourages us to speak the truth in love. (Ephesians 4:15)
Who is THIS? Who is this child sleeping in Mary's lap? Who IS this being welcomed into this world by sweetly singing angels and watchful shepherds? Well...this baby being guarded by shepherds and serenaded by angels is Christ the King! Don't waste any time! Bring your praise and adulation to Mary's baby boy!
Bring him gifts of sweet aromas, expensive treasures, and soothing oils. Everyone, whether poor or rich, should come to Jesus and acknowledge his greatness. He is the ruler above all rulers, and his coming to Earth opens the way to salvation for us all...so put him on the throne of your heart; let him be in charge and fill you with love. Raise your voice in song - loud and long! The virgin mother is singing her lullaby, so let's sing our praise of deep, abiding joy: This newborn child - Mary's baby boy - is the Holy One sent from God...the Christ!
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Truth is...I wish you all not only a Merry Christmas, but a heart filled with the Love of the Babe, the son of Mary.
It started out as a misunderstanding of where a couple tickets were telling a couple people to sit at a sporting event, and ended up being a viral blog post about racism, terrorism, and fear. And the most surprising aspect of it all was the verbal challenge being used as an accusatory weapon: "Are you a refugee?!?" Hmmm...let me think about that.
Refugee, noun...a person who has fled from some danger or problem. I have certainly tried my best to avoid problems like personal conflicts or unappetizing meals, but what about important problems? And what about actually fleeing? Truth is...my biggest problem - separation from Yahweh because of my bent toward sin - has absolutely caused me to flee. I have run into the welcoming arms of Jesus. And the deeper truth, as Jesus illustrated in his story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), God didn't stand around waiting for me. He took the initiative.
