Take This Job And Shove It

Johnny Paycheck made those words famous years ago in his hit song, "Take This Job And Shove It." Those words are still resonating with many of us today. Americans hate their jobs more than ever before in the past 20 years, with fewer than half saying they are satisfied according to an MSNBC article.

The article does not talk about Christian or non-Christian workers but I believe this feeling of job dissatisfaction is true in both groups.

This is too bad.

In our “have it your way” society, we are too caught up in wondering “what’s in it for me?” Instead of being upset about our pay or our hours or the people we work for and with, what would happen if we looked at our jobs with a renewed sense of purpose?

Our jobs are our opportunities to show our coworkers and our clients what being a Christian is all about. Our work place truly is our mission field. And you know what? If you start looking at it that way, you will like your job more – I guarantee it!

What Employees Want

In an article written by Karin Combs, she said that of her clients with the lowest employee turnover, the following were the characteristics they had in common:

1. Being known as “A Great Place to Work”, no matter how large or small. Moral and ethical conduct is considered a core value.
2. Sharing the company’s goals, financial status, and growth with the entire organization. People can take bad news; it’s NO news that is scary.
3. Investing in the training of their people.
4. Encouraging feedback (internally and externally). Then truly listening.
5. Conducting consistent performance reviews.
6. Recognize and rewarding results. Even a ‘thank you’ goes a long way.

Pretty good stuff. Biblically based. To read the rest of the article, go here.

Worst Boss Ever

I just read an interesting Blog where someone claims to have found the worst boss ever. In the article they talked about a boss who did not receive bad news very well and threatened to throw a chair at an employee who was presenting sales numbers that were not "up to par."

This is nothing new to me. This sort of behavior was commonplace in my old job. My boss would rip the thermostat off the wall if he was warm, he would huff and puff and pace back and forth with a red face when he was angry (which was a lot of the time) and he would berate us if things were not absolutely perfect. Since things are never perfect, this tongue lashing was pretty much 24/7.

To learn more about this, check out http://www.free.bleedership.com/About.html.

Slacking off on the Job

One of my favorite speakers, Zig Ziglar had a great article on why some employees slack off on the job. The following were all cited as reasons:

1. Not being involved in decision making.
2. The lack of a reward for good performance.
3. No opportunity for advancement.
4. A lack of supervision and inadequate training.

Have you ever found yourself doing less than your best for any of the above reasons? I am not proud to say it but I know I have.

We are commanded to work at whatever we are doing with all our heart as working for the Lord - which in fact we are. "Whatever" means whatever - no matter what are being paid - no matter who is our boss - no matter if we might get promoted. So let's do our best!

Half Full or Half Empty?

Negative people drive me crazy.

I know I can be negative at times but negativity is very draining to me. I guess that is one of the reasons why I have conservative values for the most part - even before I was a Christian. The way I see it, conservatives tend to look at solutions while liberals tend to dwell on the negatives. I know that most liberals want to help others and do what they think is right, but sometimes you gotta say, "What are you thinking?"

Marilyn Barnewall writes about a liberal friend who was supportive of the minimum wage increase:

Well, it's about time someone did something about it," she quipped. "Look how many times Congress has raised its own salary while minimum wage folks haven't had any increase in salary for all those years! Look at what CEOs get paid by comparison. I tell you, it just isn't fair!"

"Well," I asked, "have you been to a restaurant lately?"

"No," she said. "I've been too busy to go out."

"I hope you don't get sticker shock when you see how much the prices have gone up," I said, trying to be gentle. "The restaurant owners have to pay for that minimum wage increase somehow and that means increasing the cost of their food. That means fewer people will eat out than before the increase. And since the wait staff gets most of its income from tips, not wages, that means they will be earning less than they did before the minimum wage base was raised. It probably means some non-essential kitchen jobs will be lost, too..."

To read the rest, go here. Way to go Marilyn!

Passion

I just read where passion will help you on a job interview. Does this surprise you? I hope not.

After all, we are commanded in the book of Colossians: Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.

The term "whatever" covers everything, even interviews. Also, don't you think an employer wants someone who puts this verse into practice on the job? If you are giving it your all on the interview, you will be much more likely to do the same on the job.

Humility and Drive

From all pro running back to dancer to real estate tycoon, Emmitt Smith has done things well all his life.

An interesting article appeared in Fortune Magazine about Emmitt. The following is what I thought was very cool:

Smith was pondering the endgame of his career while other young players were still discussing their next extravagant purchase. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who made his own fortune (estimated to be about $1 billion, give or take) in real estate, recalls Smith approaching him early during the player's career with a unique request: Could he observe Jones "doing business" in order to see how a successful entrepreneur conducted himself?

"During breaks in practice he'd sit on a couch in my office and just watch me talk on the phone," Jones recalls. "He was soaking it all up and figuring out ways he could put what he heard to work." Jones says Smith's request reminded him of, well, himself, when as a young man he traveled to the now defunct American Football League meetings and sat in the lobby in hopes he'd "brush into" Lamar Hunt, one of the league's founders (who died in December). "I was 23, 24 years old and was starting to think the opportunity to get into pro football had passed me by. But you've got to have the vision. More than any player I've had, Emmitt has always had a vision."

What impressed me about this was two things. One, Emmitt did not sit on his laurels, he kept driving knowing that his football career would not last forever. He was making a plan for the future. And two, he did not act like many professional athletes who think they are above most other people. He humbled himself so he could learn. This is a lesson we can all learn from.

Is Your Boss a Psychopath?

Take this quick quiz to find out.

Then I challenge you to take it again with you as the subject and honestly grade yourself. Could be very revealing.

Motive

At my church, we just wrapped up an amazing series titled, The Star, the Cross and the Crescent. Yesterday, Afshin Ziafat shared his amazing story of finding faith in Jesus Christ while being raised by prominent Muslim parents. Last week, Judy Reamer shared how she found Christ while living in a Jewish home - also an incredible testimony!

I found it amazing how these two stories had many similarities. The other thing that struck me was one of the major differences between the beliefs of Christians and those of other faiths. This is not something new, but it hit me in a fresh way this past weekend.

Most religions promote "being a good person" and "doing good things." However, Christianity is the only one that promotes doing these things out of love.

Showing love to that person in your office who just drives you crazy is done:

• If you are Jewish - Because it is part of the "law"
• If you are Muslim - Because it is part of the "law"
• If you are a Christian - Because of our love of Jesus Christ

I don't know about you, but when I know the reason for a rule or a command, I am much more willing to obey it. John 14:15 says, "If you love me, you will obey what I command." I can't think of a better reason!

Doesn't seem Christ-like to me

Have you read this story about the pediatrician who would not treat a little girl with an ear infection because her parents had tattoos?

The doctor said he is just following his beliefs and creating a Christian atmosphere for his patients.

Somehow I don't this is what Jesus would do.

Bad Apple

Have you ever worked with someone who is like poison to the organization? You know, a bad apple? If so, then you know the damage someone like this can do.

An interesting article appeared earlier this week on this subject and it got me thinking. If a bad apple can cause this much damage, can a good apple, or someone who is treating their workplace as their mission field have a significant positive affect?

We all know this is true but I would love to see a study done on this.

The question of the day is, are you a bad apple or a good apple?

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today is a great day to be reminded of how much you are loved by God. Here is an awesome letter:

My Child,

You may not know me, but I know everything about you. Psalm 139:1
I know when you sit down and when you rise up. Psalm 139:2
I am familiar with all your ways. Psalm 139:3
Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. Matthew 10:29-31
For you were made in my image. Genesis 1:27
In me you live and move and have your being. Acts 17:28
For you are my offspring. Acts 17:28
I knew you even before you were conceived. Jeremiah 1:4-5
I chose you when I planned creation. Ephesians 1:11-12
You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. Psalm 139:15-16
I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. Acts 17:26
You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14
I knit you together in your mother's womb. Psalm 139:13
And brought you forth on the day you were born. Psalm 71:6
I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me. John 8:41-44
I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love. 1 John 4:16
And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. 1 John 3:1
Simply because you are my child and I am your Father. 1 John 3:1
I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. Matthew 7:11
For I am the perfect father. Matthew 5:48
Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand. James 1:17
For I am your provider and I meet all your needs. Matthew 6:31-33
My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. Jeremiah 29:11
Because I love you with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:3
My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore. Psalm 139:17-18
And I rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17
I will never stop doing good to you. Jeremiah 32:40
For you are my treasured possession. Exodus 19:5
I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul. Jeremiah 32:41
And I want to show you great and marvelous things. Jeremiah 33:3
If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. Deuteronomy 4:29
Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4
For it is I who gave you those desires. Philippians 2:13
I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine. Ephesians 3:20
For I am your greatest encourager. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you. Psalm 34:18
As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart. Isaiah 40:11
One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes. Revelation 21:3-4
And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth. Revelation 21:3-4
I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus. John 17:23
For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. John 17:26
He is the exact representation of my being. Hebrews 1:3
He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you. Romans 8:31
And to tell you that I am not counting your sins. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you. 1 John 4:10
I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love. Romans 8:31-32
If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me. 1 John 2:23
And nothing will ever separate you from my love again. Romans 8:38-39
Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen. Luke 15:7
I have always been Father, and will always be Father. Ephesians 3:14-15
My question is…Will you be my child? John 1:12-13
I am waiting for you. Luke 15:11-32

Love, Your Dad.

Pretty cool! To get the full effect with audio, go here.

Not my Plans - part II

It happened again!

I had great plans to get lots of stuff accomplished in the office today and God decided it wasn't meant to be. We got hit with what the weather experts are calling a blizzard.

It doesn't seem bad enough to be called a blizzard but it is bad enough that Lucas County in Ohio has called a level 3 snow emergency. I didn't remember what that means until they told me on the morning news: no non-emergency personnel allowed on the roads. Those traveling on the roads subject themselves to arrest. I guess I'm not going to the office today.

Even my church, CrossRoads Community Church in Ottawa Lake, MI is closed for the day including our Wednesday night New Community service.

Once again, my plans are put on the shelf. Maybe one of these days I'll learn to go with the flow a little more.

Love is in the Air

A couple of days ago my wife was telling me about a friend of hers who told her that she didn't love her husband anymore. This is not uncommon. We hear things like this all the time. Especially on TV.

This is something that bugs me. This feeling of "love."

I admit, it is an amazing feeling to feel like you are "in love." However, I believe what you are feeling is not love but actually something else. It has gotten defined as love - mostly by Hollywood and as a result our society suffers.

According to Scripture, the word "love" is a verb - not a feeling. We have all heard it read at weddings that "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a)

No where in there does it mention a feeling of love.

As we approach Valentines Day, let's remember this. Let’s step up and choose to love our spouse and others. Let's also remember that we can even choose to love the person who drives us crazy in the next cubicle simply because God does.

Proud Dad

I am a proud dad this morning.

As I have mentioned before, I coach my son's 4th and 5th grade basketball team. We had our 3rd game this past Saturday. We have pretty much been manhandled in our prior two games as we have a pretty small team. But we make up for it with inexperience.

To give you the entire picture, I have coached my son for the past four years. He has always been one of the better players on each one of our teams, until last year.

Last year, Robbie couldn't do the simplest things. He even had serious trouble just catching a basketball. I was perplexed. Here was one of the better players year after year who was now really struggling. It didn't make sense.

I figured that God was trying to tell me that there was more to life than athletic prowess. Since I had played in college, I really wanted Robbie to play competitively, at least through high school. I resigned myself to the fact that he would not play at the level I was hoping for. And believe it or not, I was OK with that. Robbie ended the year without a basket and feeling like he did not contribute much to the team.

Last spring Robbie told us he was having trouble seeing the black board at school so we took him to get his eyes checked. He needed glasses - big time! No wonder he couldn't catch the basketball - he couldn't see it!

This year I have seen Robbie (along with the rest of the team) gain confidence with each practice, each game.

This past Saturday, the other team had just scored to cut our lead to 14-12 with 30 seconds to go. On the ensuing possession, Robbie ended up with the ball and dribbled around his defender and shot a long shot that missed badly. However, he was fouled. He went to the free throw line and made both shots!

We ended up winning by two. I am so proud of our team. We have gotten better each day.

I am also proud of my son - not because he made the winning free throws (although I think that is pretty cool!). I am proud of him because of the teammate he has become. The funny thing is I also saw his actions on the court as a model for us in the workplace.

I saw him slapping other players high fives when they did something well (Romans 12:15). I saw him encouraging others on the team (1 Thessalonians 5:11). And, I saw him playing hard (Colossians 3:23). As a result of all this, I have really seen his confidence increase. Praise God!

Way to go Robbie! Thanks for being a great example!

Not my Plans

Don't you hate it when things go awry!

I have a short day today because I am charged with picking up our new cat from the Vet today at 1:00 before they close (my wife is working today). He just got de-clawed. So, I had great plans to get into the office and get lots of stuff done this morning.

Well, it was not to be.

I utilize Franklin Planner Software and sync it up with my Palm Pilot. My Palm decided to freeze up this morning which caused me to have to hit the reset key. As a result I lost all my data on my Palm. Fortunately, I still had it on my computer.

When I tried to sync, I lost data on my computer and nothing went to my Palm. Ughhh.

However, for once in my life I was thinking. I performed a backup just prior to this so I was able to get back to where I was on my computer. However, syncing with my handheld was still an issue.

I have just spent the past 2 hours chatting online with Franklin support. They have been very willing to help and have suggested some things, but nothing seems to work.

I am saying all this to let you know that my plans of getting a lot done this morning just went out the window.

I don't know about you, but I sometimes think that everything I am doing is SO important and MUST be done. Like the fate of the world depends on it. Who do I think I am? I must think I am pretty important.

For that reason, I am glad God uses these roadblocks from time to time to bring me back down to earth.

Have You Ever Done Anything Stupid?

Well...have you? I mean have you ever done anything REALLY stupid?

Obviously, we all have. Check this out (it is a reminder that we must give people grace as they will make mistakes too):

Yes, it's that magical time of the year again when the Darwin Awards are bestowed, honoring the least evolved among us. Here then, are the glorious winners:

1) When his 38-caliber revolver failed to fire at his intended victim during a hold-up in , would-be robber James Elliot did something that can only inspire wonder. He peered down the barrel and tried the trigger again. This time it worked.....And now, the honorable mentions:

2) The chef at a hotel in lost a finger in a meat-cutting machine and, after a little shopping around, submitted a claim to his insurance company. The company expecting negligence sent out one of its men to have a look for himself. He tried the
machine and he also lost a finger. The chef's claim was approved.

3) A man who shoveled snow for an hour to clear a space for his car during a blizzard in returned with his vehicle to find a woman had taken the space. Understandably, he shot her.

4) After stopping for drinks at an illegal bar, a Zimbabwean bus driver found that the 20 mental patients he was supposed to be transporting from to had escaped. Not wanting to admit his incompetence, the driver went to a nearby bus stop and offered everyone waiting there a free ride. He then delivered the passengers to the mental hospital, telling the staff that the patients were very excitable and prone to bizarre fantasies. The deception wasn't discovered for 3 days.

5) An American teenager was in the hospital recovering from serious head wounds received from an oncoming train. When asked how he received the injuries, the lad told police that he was simply trying to see how close he could get his head to a moving train before he was hit.

6) A man walked into a Louisiana Circle-K, put a $20 bill on the counter, and asked for change. When the clerk opened the cash drawer, he man pulled a gun and asked for all the cash in the register, which the clerk promptly provided. The man took the cash from the clerk and fled, leaving the $20 bill on the counter. The total amount of cash he got from the drawer...$15. (If someone points a gun at you and gives you money, is a crime committed?)

7) Seems an guy wanted some beer pretty badly. He decided that he'd just throw a cinderblock through a liquor store window, grab some booze, and run. So he lifted the cinderblock and heaved it over his head at the window. The cinderblock bounced back and hit the would-be thief on the head, knocking him unconscious. The liquor store window was made of Plexiglas. The whole event was caught on videotape.

8) As a female shopper exited a convenience store, a man grabbed her purse and ran. The clerk called 911 immediately, and the woman was able to give them a detailed description of the snatcher. Within minutes, the police apprehended the snatcher. They put him in the car and drove back to the store. The thief was then taken out of the car and told to stand there for a positive ID. To which he replied, "Yes, officer, that's her. That's the lady I stole the purse from."

9) The News crime column reported that a man walked into a Burger King in , at 5 A.M., flashed a gun, and demanded cash. The clerk turned him down because he said he couldn't open the cash register without a food order. When the man ordered
onion rings, the clerk said they weren't available for breakfast. The man, frustrated, walked away.***A 5-STAR AWARD WINNER***

10) When a man attempted to siphon gasoline from a motor home parked on a street, he got much more than he bargained for. Police arrived at the scene to find a very sick man curled up next to a motor home near spilled sewage. A police spokesman said that the man admitted to trying to steal gasoline and plugged his siphon hose into the motor home's sewage tank by mistake. The owner of the vehicle declined to press charges, saying that it was the best laugh he'd ever had.

Lessons Learned from a Garbage Disposal

A couple of weeks ago I turned on our garbage disposal and my son immediately said something to me so I shut it off to listen to him. As soon as he was done, I flipped the switch and nothing happened.

It was just one of several things that had broken recently and I didn't want to deal with this. My wife was away on a mission trip to Pass Christian, MS to rebuild some houses that were destroyed during Hurricane Katrina so I was playing "Mr. Mom." But I knew this needed to be fixed.

After checking to make sure the circuit breaker was OK and pressing the reset button a few hundred times, I called my father to see if he had any other "quick fix" advice. Other than saying he would help me to install a new one he didn't have any new information for me.

I trudged to Home Depot, purchased a new one and came home to install it with my dad. After about 50 minutes of work it was installed. I was very proud...until we turned it on and nothing happened!

After looking at each other, we decided to take the switch plate off the wall and we discovered that one of the wires had totally broken off where it connected to the switch. We reconnected it and it worked great.

So now I have a brand new disposal when I didn't even need one - so I've got that goin' for me.

I thought about how this relates to my life at work and realized that I oftentimes race through things at work and make certain assumptions just so that I can get things done, rather than patiently planning it out and doing it the right way. We are commanded to do things to the best of our ability, as if God is our Boss, which He is! (Col. 3:23)

This is something we all can learn from!

Bad Bosses

ABC News has a story that is out today that is just shocking. Did you know that bad bosses can infect an entire company?

Of course you know that, most people do - especially those who have lived under the tyranny of a bad boss. Most of you know that I did as well. In fact mine was so bad that I wrote a book about him.

So let's try to lead like the great leaders in the Bible. After all, you don't want someone writing a book about your poor leadership skills do you?

Tony Dungy Comments

I don't know if you saw this or not, but immediately after the Super Bowl, Jim Nantz from CBS was asking Tony about the significance of the fact that he was the first black head coach to win a Super Bowl. Below are his comments:

Jim Nantz of CBS Sports: This is one of those moments, Tony, where there is also social significance in this victory, and to have your hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Tell me what this means to you right now.

Tony Dungy: I'll tell you what. I'm proud to be representing African-American coaches, to be the first African-American to win this. It means an awful lot to our country. But again, more than anything, I've said it before, Lovie Smith and I, not only the first two African-Americans, but Christian coaches showing that you can win doing it the Lord's way. And we're more proud of that.

How cool is that? He is a leader I would want to follow!

Get Off His Back!

In an article on ESPN's site, one writer says that Rex Grossman, the much maligned quarterback for the Chicago Bears should have been named as Co-MVP of last night's Super Bowl because of his lackluster performance.

This type of writing drives me crazy!

Here is a quarterback who won 15 games as a starter. He plays arguably the toughest position on the field. This is his first full year as a starting quarterback in the NFL.

I am not a Chicago Bears fan. In fact, I was very please the Colts won. However, when a sportswriter who may have never played a down of football writes this sort of thing it makes me angry.

The same was true with Peyton Manning prior to his team's win last night. He was billed as "the next great quarterback to never win the big one."

What a bunch of hogwash!

These two quarterbacks are at the top of their profession. The fact is there are 30 other starting quarterbacks in the NFL who wish they had played in the game.

Peyton Manning was talked about as the guy who could not win the big one because he is a great player. Rex Grossman is being criticized today because he is at the top of his game also.

Even though this type of talk does not sit well with me, the fact is that when anyone reaches the top of their game, criticism will follow. Even in our jobs and in our spiritual lives.

Are you being criticized in any way? If not, are you doing the best you can?

The Prodigal

A good friend of mine was telling me about a pastor friend of his in another state named Bob (not his real name). Bob's 14 year old daughter (Karen) who is a good kid decided to run away with a boy friend (not her boyfriend). They were upset over something happening at their school.

Each of them took $100 in cash and they took a pickup truck that belonged to one of their parents. It didn't take them long to realize that gas is expensive and they quickly ran out of money.

Not wanting to stoop to asking for help from their parents, they decided to take matters into their own hands. Karen's friend had brought a gun with him so they decided to use it to hold up a convenience store.

To make a long story short, they got caught. Even though they are both 14 years old, the local authorities want to try them as adults. It seems there is a good chance of this happening. If convicted as adults, they each face 20 years in prison.

The best case scenario is that they are tried as juveniles. If convicted as a juvenile they face 3 years in a juvenile detention facility. In either case, their lives will be forever changed due to a 24-hour window of poor judgment.

Obviously my friend's friend is distraught and spending lots of time on his knees.

Had Karen simply called her parents for help, all of this could have been avoided. What stopped her? Fear of punishment? Pride? Not wanting to feel dependent on someone else? I am sure her parents were waiting like the father of the prodigal son in Luke 15 to welcome her back.

Haven't we all made mistakes? When we do again, let's not compound them by making more poor choices. Know that we can go to our Father and He will be waiting with open arms to welcome us back.

The Power of our Experiences

As many of you know, I am a huge Ohio State football fan. One of the greatest quarterbacks in Ohio State history is also one of the greatest embarrassments to the state of Ohio. Art Schlichter has spent numerous years in jail for actions he took to feed his gambling addiction.

Art was also a member of the Indianapolis Colts who are appearing in the Super Bowl this Sunday. A great quote appeared in a story on CBS's site:

"But I didn't set out to embarrass the city or the Colts. It just worked out that way. I love Peyton Manning and what he stands for. He does things the way I used to do things in college. But I don't look back and wonder what could have been if I wasn't a gambler. It happened. That's the way it is. All I can hope to do now is stay on the path I'm on now. Each day gets a little better. I'm happy where I'm at right now."

You see, Art Schlichter seems at peace now because he is trying to use his failures, his mistakes and his experiences to help others. Something we all can do.

New Surroundings

Four weeks ago I took KC, one of our two cats (yes, we have cats - I like dogs also, but for now we have cats) to be euthanized (he was 14 years old with failing health). A week later we decided to get another cat so we brought one home from the Humane Society in our community.

When we first stopped in at the Humane Society, they had probably 35 cats in cages there waiting for families to "adopt" them. Each cat was desperate for loving and attention.

When we finally brought our yet-to-be-named kitten home he was extremely skittish. He would jump at the slightest sound and anytime we would walk toward him he would run away as quickly as possible.

At first I thought this was very strange. Here is this cat, who hours earlier was in a cage and desperate for better living conditions. Now he has what he wanted but he is scared to death.

Then it hit me - he was outside of his comfort zone.

This is no different than each of us. Anytime we grow, anytime we want better circumstances we need to get outside of our comfort zone. We need to do the uncomfortable and we need to do it in spite of our fear.

Basketball Practice

I am coaching my 10 year old son’s basketball team and we have a mix of talent levels on our team. About half of our players have never really played before. One in particular, I will call him Jimmy, seems to be in left field. It looks like he just doesn’t want to be there. He doesn’t pay attention and it appears like he is having no fun at all.

His mom just called me. She explained that Jimmy has ADHD. She also said that he talked his parents into letting him play football a little over a year ago. Against their better judgment, they let him play. It turned out to be a sad disaster.

Because Jimmy was not focusing on the football field, his teammates all made fun of him and called him names. Then the coaches did. His coaches would grab a hold of his facemask and scream at him and tell him how worthless he was. She went on to say that since that time, he has totally withdrawn from life – no friends, his schoolwork has suffered and he constantly feels that everyone hates him and that he is not worth anything.

My heart absolutely ached!

She said their therapist mandated that he get back into life and said he needed to play a sport so they hesitantly signed him up for basketball, very fearful of what might happen next. She said they were praying hard for him to end up on the right team. She then went on to say she felt that Jimmy was on the right team and that she was very thankful for that.

While Jimmy has never spoken at a practice or a game, she said all he does is talk about how excited he is about basketball and our team. Wow.

I hung up the phone and had tears running down my cheeks. I felt as if God just gave me the most incredible gift I have ever received. At that moment I realized how incredibly important every conversation is, every action is - at work, at home…and especially to a 10 year old boy who is playing basketball.

Previous Posts

I am just now changing my blog site. To read my previous posts, please go to http://jimlange.vox.com/.

Thanks!