StewardLife Lesson 10
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STORY:
As a youth, growing up in a small town, I joined the Boy Scouts. I enjoyed the fellowship with other boys in our community. It was fun to go camping and to partake in many of the crafts. At one point we were invited to join in a banquet in a hotel in a larger city. Anxiety was high. We were to meet with other boys from neighboring communities. My neighborhood was not well-to-do. Hence my “good clothes” consisted of one single outfit of pants and shirt and sweater—usually reserved for church and special occasions.
One problem concerned me. I had read that at banquet occasions there would be more than one fork and spoon. Which fork or spoon do you use first? At our home we had one fork, spoon and knife by our plate. I took my problem to my mother who I was sure to know the right answer. Her answer? She said “ I frankly don't know. I never was taught what to do.” She suggested that I pick out a role model who would sit near me. I was to follow what he did.
On the night of the banquet I was a little nervous. When we sat down to eat I noticed a boy from my home town who would be my role model. His father had an important position in the paper mill and they had a nice home. That, I decided, was why I would imitate Rooney. When he started eating, his habits were atrocious! I couldn't believe he would eat like that! For myself, I watched out of the corner of my eye at the other boys. The meal was finished—my problem was over. But I couldn't wait to get home to tell Mom about my experience.
My selection of a role model was faulty. I used position and assumed wealth as an indication of proper eating habits.
How can we make certain we are selecting proper models as we learn to carry out our roles as students, employees, neighbors, parents, or managers of life? How much and how soon are we expected to know about how to carry out our roles?
STORY:
The other day I caught the recently elected Board of Trustees chairperson in the church changing light bulbs. It was a job that could have been done by the custodian. That was the first thing wrong. But it was what I found out next that really made me think.
The chairperson was simply moving the burned out bulbs to new fixtures. New bulbs were not being put in place of the old bulbs. I asked what was going on. “Well, pastor, I assumed that this was the rule in this church. I've noticed that when someone gets burned out in one leadership area, we elect them to another committee or another board—just like shifting around burned out bulbs.”
On that day the new Board of Trustees chairperson preached a powerful sermon to the pastor!
STORY:
William had grown up with multiple learning disabilities. All through high school he had struggled to understand the concepts of math, science and history. His written English was not very good. His handwriting was the worst. Someone made fun of him once and joked that it was so bad he was sure to become a medical doctor someday.
Because of his difficulties, the other students often made fun of him. On the best days, they just ignored him. He wasn't part of any activities, sports or social events at school. He was shy and withdrawn.
But William wanted to try a speech class. His teachers and classmates urged him not to try it, but he signed up for it anyway. How could such a struggling student with no personality make it in speech—especially in Mr. Porter's class? Mr. Porter would chew you out just for looking out the window during class.
But William discovered that he loved to speak. He found out that he could quickly organize his thoughts. He picked interesting topics for class presentations and delivered his speeches with emotion. If he hadn't taken speech, he never would have discovered how much he liked it.
One of the class assignments involved participation in an interscholastic debate. The finals were held at his school. In front of the whole student body at the finals, William delivered a powerful speech on solving society's problems. The audience cheered and applauded wildly when he was done.
William now knew that his choice to take speech had been right all along. The reaction of the audience and the honor of winning the debate confirmed it. Today, with all his disabilities, William is chief administrator in a sales motivation company. If he had listened to the advice of his teachers and classmates, he may never have signed up for that speech class.
EXERCISE
As you get behind the wheel today on an expressway or a side street, you will be making exits and turns. If you make the wrong turn or take the wrong exit, you may have to travel on the wrong road for some distance before you can correct your mistake.
In life, making a wrong turn can also get you onto a wrong road that will take you some time to correct.
But God helps you prevent wrong turns in life with the internal guidance system of His Holy Spirit. Through His Word, He maps out for you the right road. With spiritual eyes, you can interpret the signs.
In prayer, ask God to show you today the ways He will be directing your life in where to turn, how long to keep going and taking the proper exit. With spiritual eyes, you can manage to see the clues God gives you in choosing models to follow, in managing other people's abilities and in using your own talents in new ways.
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