A Servant’s Heart – Thanks Mom

This morning, I heard a sermon about being a servant and it made me think. I know, it’s scary but for 3 days this weekend, I have been thinking about this and that. This sermon was great and all I could think about is why do we serve? Is it because we want to or because we are called to? I know for me, it’s because I’m called to serve others. But if you know me, you probably aren’t totally shocked that I like serving in my church, community and my family.

But as I sat and listened, I could only think about what was being said and my mom. Yes, my mom. If you know Sallie Amason, you know all she has ever done is serve others. From as far back as I can remember, she has poured her heart and soul into helping others. Mom helped start and has worked with the Eveline Rivers Christmas Project each and every year and has faithfully worked the coat room at the Christmas project with a smile on her face. And that’s not easy unless you are a true servant. Mom kept kids in our home for 21 years and she will never know how many people’s lives she touched and help mold over the years. From putting a coat on others to cleaning up after boys and girls, she has stood the test of time.

As the sermon continued, Jonathan talked about when we serve 2 people benefit. You and the other person. But why stop there? I think when you serve as my mom has done, you benefit, the other person benefits but so does everyone else you and they come in contact with. Like a ripple effect, your serving can touch people for years and for miles!

My mom will never see herself as anything else than a woman who did what she had to do. And that’s the heart we should all pray for. Her name may never be on the side of any building and she may never be awarded any national award but the blessings she has received and will receive are enough for her. (As a matter of fact, she will probably tell me I should not have written this because she doesn’t think she deserves this, but she does!!) She just likes giving what she has for everyone to enjoy.

Thanks Mom for being you and for showing us how to truly serve like God wants us to serve. I can’t imagine how different this world would be with more people like you in it. You will never know how much you have influenced me and so many others. Hold your head high and know that without your example, I would not be the man I am today.

I love you Mom!!

Out, Up & ……In????

In the world today, we see organizations of all sizes and varieties looking up to others so they can reach out to others while forgetting about looking in. What I mean by this is quite simple. Organizations of all types, churches, nonprofits, business and groups all seem to have looking up for ideas and direction down pat. This allows the organization to reach out to the community in so many ways that is good for everyone involved.

While this is good; what happens to those inside who are doing the work if they are not getting what they need? Every person in the world needs things. They need love, food, direction and the ability to ask someone for help. In the past few years, we have seen many organizations go through changes that were meant to help the “IN” people when it actually ended up tearing them apart. When we only look up then out, the people in eventually will give up and not continue to see the vision the head of the organization has. Andrew Carnegie once said, “Give me the best factory in the world but take my people away, grass will grow on the factory floor, but leave my people and they will build a bigger better factory.” I think Carnegie had it right and now we have gone from that in America.

We have become more about the programs and less about the people. We concern ourselves with the names of the programs, not the names of our people. We think if our programs aren’t growing, neither are our people. Maybe it’s time we as leaders look at the true root of the problem. I see organizations all over America forgetting about training, teaching and caring for their people. Just sending them on a retreat, to a conference or putting them in small groups won’t always give them what they need. They need the head of the organization and their leaders to reach in to them and find out what they need. We can’t just sit back and wait for people to tell us what they need. We need to know our people good enough to know when they are hurting or where they are lacking.

It’s become a cut here and there so we can have more to spend out rather than in. We have to reverse this thinking. It’s extremely good to see everyone benefitting from others but if we continue to cut out teaching and training then how will we ever be able to keep our people going in the same direction we are going?

So, take a step back from your organization and see if you have a balance between Up, Out and In. If you don’t, I urge you to see how to correct the problem so the people can grow into the people they are called to be. Don’t let the need for being busy on a program or project kill your organization. Just a little more on the IN will produce so much more UP and OUT.

Love you all!!