Some of you may have been thinking if I was taking a vacation since
no Leadership Thoughts had been arriving on your computer screen during the
early morning hours. However, that was not the case. Besides my church
responsibilities as a member of the ministry team at New Monmouth Church, I am
also a part of a team learning how to become church consultants.
Church consultants help churches identify growth restricting
factors in churches and then work with those churches to help address those
concerns to help facilitate their growth. I was with our church consultant
mentor, Dr. Bob Whitesell and two other members of our team from Ontario,
Canada and Peoria, Illinois. While there we visited churches in Houston and San
Antonio.
Lest you think church consulting is all work and no play, I would
mention that this was not the case.
During our time, we managed to visit Buc-ees, the world’s largest
gasoline station, the size of a Walmart with at least 140 pumps, and a store
filled with just about anything anyone would ever need, including their own
beef jerky and homemade fudge. Remember stopping at a Stuckey’s while traveling
South? This was Stuckey’s on steroids!
It was there that I spent 15 frantic minutes looking for my credit
card that I had unknowingly dropped from my hand while chatting with the
homemade ‘fudge lady.’ After searching every conceivable part of my body, a
number of times, I reported losing it, and moments later it was returned to me
by a smiling lady from customer service who told me it had been turned in by a
customer who found it on the floor. Relief!
We also visited the Gruene Dance Hall in Gruene Texas, the site of
the oldest dance hall in the state, dating back to 1878 and where legendary
country singer George Strait got his start and where just about every other
country singer of note has sung as you would see from the 100’s of autography
pictures of performers scattered over every inch of the walls. They are still
coming and singing in this venue that is big enough to hold 300 people at the
most. You name the singer and he/she has probably performed on the Gruene dance
hall stage.
But of all the fun we had meeting and getting to know people in
the churches we visited, the thing I will most remember is the guy behind the
front desk of the hotel where I was staying. I had a 6 am flight home on Monday,
so I arranged for a 4 am shuttle to the airport. I arrived in the lobby in
plenty of time for the shuttle, and after arriving I heard the man at the front
desk call out. "The shuttle is here," and is just around the corner.
I went out, looked for the shuttle, didn’t see it, and came back in to ask for
further directions. By the time I went outside and looked a second time, the
shuttle was nowhere in sight.
I nervously walked back inside, but now there was no one at the
front desk-at 4:00 am who would know if the front desk person decided to take a
break, but by now I was growing frantic. Finally, he appeared and learning of
my situation, he calmly said, “Don’t worry, I will get you there.” He closed
down the desk, escorted me to his car, and said hop in.” Little did I know the
airport was only five minutes away, but that didn’t matter. This unknown desk
clerk went out of his way to save me from missing my flight home and creating
another one of those Crenshaw “travel stories” for which I am well known.
Oh, I will remember a lot of things about my visit to Texas- my
visit to Buc-ees, and my lost credit card, our visit to the Gruene Dance Hall,
and the fellowship I enjoyed with those who were a part of our consulting team,
but the thing I will remember most is the little kindness of an unknown
desk clerk at the Hilton Garden Inn who went out of his way to accommodate my
need.
Well, what does all of this have to do with a leadership lesson?
It is simply this: an act of kindness doesn’t need to be very big to be long
remembered. I still remember the words, “kindness is love in work clothes,” and
the pastor who one day told me, “One kind act will teach more love of God than
1000 sermons.”
I don’t remember the name of that kind man behind the desk, but I
shall ever be grateful for the little act of kindness he did for me, and, yes,
a little “poorer” for the unusually large tip I rendered him for his service.
May we never forget that the best of a good man’s (woman’s) life
(are) the little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness” he or she does.
William Wordsworth.
The prophet Micah said it well, “He has told you, O man, what is
good: and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, to love
kindness, and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)
Enough said!
Yours in faith and friendship,
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