What's In Your Wallet?"

A friend of mine, who served in the position I am in for about twelve years, sends out a thought for the day via email. Today, I received this note from him. Sometimes when we are on the journey, its nice just to be reminded of what is most important.

"Do not lay up for ourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is there your heart will be also." Jesus in Matthew 6:19-21

Easy Come Easy Go

Well after hearing that the stock market fell over 700 points today I made the mistake of checking on my retirement account. Needless to say things aren't looking good for early retirement. At the present rate my account should be depleted in about a year. Oh well, at least the price of oil fell today. See, there is always a silver lining. Maybe we could play those TV clips of President Roosevelt encouraging the nation after the stock market crashed in the late '20's. That should cheer us all up.

The truth is some times this journey is not much fun. No, it's not about the money. It's about all the uncertainty. It's about the choices people make, and the huge ramifications of those choices on others. It's about being frustrated with the way things are and powerless to do anything about it. Working for a nonprofit, I am reminded of how unstable things can be with so much volatility in the market and around the world. And, just once I wish I could turn on a news station and someone would be telling the truth. I grow tired of talking points that are so rehearsed that they remind us all of TV after the writers strike of last year.

Now, I feel better. You see my wife is away for a few days, and I can't stand watching the Steelers play with those yellow helmets.

Winners and Losers

"Talking Heads" usually drive me crazy. But every once in a while someone will say something that at least gets my attention. This morning a gentleman was discussing the 700 billion dollar bailout proposed by our government. He noted that the bailout was guaranteeing that the institutions involved would not fail. His concern was the message that would send to all of us that we should never let anyone fail. This is the same message that we teach from preschool and beyond. Children are not allowed to play games where there is a clear winner and loser because it might damage their psyche. The truth is there are winners and losers and there always will be. Until we spend time training up winners and teaching others how to lose gracefully, we will forever be bailing people out of messes. The greatest feeling in the world is winning at anything. However, the greatest lessons learned come from our defeats. Thomas Edison failed over 10,000 times before he discovered the light bulb. If someone had bailed him out, we would be sitting in the dark trying to figure out how to come up with this 700 billion dollars.

Planning for the Future

I just finished reading a book entitled, "Leadership Jazz" by Max DePree. In the epilogue he recounts this story. I will let you draw your own conclusions regarding applications to your journey. As for me, it is a reminder of how important it is to consider the impact of the present on the future. Decisions made today may play a critical role in the plans of tomorrow.

In the late fourteenth century, the members of New College, at Oxford, moved into their quadrangle, the first structure of its kind, intended to provide for the residents all that they needed. On the north side of the quadrangle sit the chapel and the great hall, beautiful buildings and, as you might imagine, the focus of the life of the college.

In the middle of the nineteenth century, almost five hundred years later, the college hired architect Sir Gilbert Scott to restore the roof of the hall. The roof and the great oak beams that supported it had badly rotted. And so representatives from the college with Sir Gilbert visited Great Hall Woods, in Berkshire, where they expected to find trees for replacement beams. Sure enough, the replacements were standing there, waiting to be hewn out of the living oak trees planted a century before for just that purpose.

An anonymous leader's promise had been fulfilled. The voice and touch of a distant leader had been joined.

A Friendly Reminder to All

The following note came from a friend who has dedicated his life to helping people in a rural area of east Kentucky. Perhaps we could pause in our journey long enough to read what he has to say. You can check out his work at www.bigcreekmissions.com.

Today, I have been doing some planning for one of the mission groups coming to Big Creek in just a few weeks. One of the things that I enjoy the LEAST about this ministry is the home visits I have to make. You see, homeowners will send in an application for home repair and I will have to go look over the house and see if we can help the resident.

Sometimes, you can tell the people are just looking for a free handout. Other times, you know the people are in serious need of help. Often, the problems are so serious, we can only do a temporary patch job that will hopefully help the residents.

Yesterday, I was overwhelmed after looking at one home in Wooton, Kentucky. The man living here (I'll call him Will) was without running water. His plumbing was useless due to years of neglect. The home had electricity, but no heat and no air conditioning. The old man (probably around 70 years old) was sitting in a house that was probably 80 degrees, wearing a jacket because he was cold.

Gnats, Fleas, and Roaches were everywhere, and a rodent infestation was obvious. The place was filthy - huge cobwebs hung from the ceiling, floors and counters were disgusting, and the smell was overpowering. It was also evident the man had not bathed in quite some time. Trash was strewn through the house.

He only received $600.00 per month in Social Security payments. His only food was delivered by the local Cutshin Senior Center "meals on wheels." Unfortunately, because of cutbacks, they've had to decrease food deliveries from five days per week down to three days per week.

His home had large holes in his floors and very little insulation. The director of the senior center who went with me was doing her very best to convince Will to move into assisted living - but this was his home. He just wanted it fixed.

Where was his family? He only had a nephew and Niece - both of which charged him to drive him anywhere. Will said they required him to pay almost $40.00 to take him to town - which was an 8 mile drive. His nephew mowed his yard - but Will wouldn't say how much he had to pay for this service. Will had little trust for people, as through the years, he has been taken advantage of, and was a witness to his brother's murder - at home.

Where were his friends to help? The lady who was with me asked, "Will, does anybody come visit you?" He responded, "the trucks go by all day long." His chair was positioned to have a clear view of the roads - and you could tell, his eyes would follow each and every truck. He had no visitors, and his only entertainment was the roar of the coal and gravel trucks coming down the mountain.

In all reality, his house should be demolished. But, Big Creek Missions can't afford to build him a new one. So, we will attempt to patch this home the best we can and hopefully seal it up to keep out the cold this winter.

So, why do I hate those home visits? Because it's another reminder of the fact I'm spoiled rotten. I have more than I could ever need. My fridge is stocked, my house is clean. I have friends. My truck runs, and I have enough money to live "frugally" in great comfort.

But here's the kicker . . . Even with Will's seeming "poverty" - his meager $20.00 per day government check - he is RICH according to the world's standards. Almost HALF the world lives on less than TWO dollars per day. Will lives on 20.

I think we, as Americans, need a reality check. Considering our current "economic downturn" - we may be in for it!

Dear Santa

Today while having lunch at a small town diner, a mother began talking with us about her son. She had encouraged her little boy to go ahead and write his letter to Santa. So, the little boy wrote to Santa and asked for super powers and a side kick. When asked about his request the little boy said to his mother, "But mom, I will use my powers for good and not for evil!" Too much TV or just a great imagination? You decide. But it sure was good for a laugh. This same young man is a big Buzz Lightyear fan, and he told his parents that he wanted to go see Buzz at Disney World. His parents challenged the little boy to save half of the cost of his ticket to go see Buzz and they would take him. So, he did. Sounds like a young man that knows what he wants and what it takes to get it. My kind of guy.

Then Feed Just One

Mother Teresa once said, "If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one." I attended a banquet tonight for an organization that provides opportunities for children and youth who live in the inner city. The Executive Director referenced this quote when talking about how he can continue doing what he does with all the limitations that are sometimes associated with nonprofit work in a sluggish economy. It really comes down to the one that you can help; the one that will be changed forever by your willingness to invest in a life.

Proof of that came in the form of a testimony by a young lady who is presently a freshman in college. Three years ago she started visiting the local center and there found meaning and direction for her life. The agency was able to assist her with a scholarship for college. She plans to major in Spanish so that she can one day come back to her neighborhood and assist the Latinos moving into the area. Tonight this young lady thanked those who did not allow themselves to be overwhelmed by the masses, but did take the time to look into the eyes of this child and make a significant impact. What a difference we all could make if we took the time to do the same.

Whenever I See Your Smiling Face

My wife and I learned Sunday that we had folks from New Orleans staying at a shelter near our home. We gathered a few needed supplies and made our way over to the center. Before entering the building we met Kim who had volunteered to come help just after lunch. She instructed us where to take our supplies and then got busy with what she was doing. My wife, who is wonderful in situations like this one, struck up a conversation with a gentleman from New Orleans. He wept as he talked about his experience with Katrina and now this.

We learned that there were far more people at the shelter than were expected, so more cots were on their way. So, we went and ran a few errands and then came back to help. At some point I walked by a gentleman who was seated by the door. He asked me to sit and talk with him a minute. He too was a survivor of Katrina, and was not doing very well at the moment. He was released from the hospital on Friday and left on Sunday, like most of the people not knowing his destination. He told me his story, and then asked me to pray with him, which I tried my best to do. He then asked me for a few things like pants, shirts and underclothing. He had not showered in a few days, and did not want to clean up and then put on the same old dirty clothes. I told him to stay put and I would be back with what he needed.

I found my wife and daughter, and we left for the store. In a few minutes we returned to the shelter with the clothes that he had requested. He was sitting right where I left him. He took the new things and headed straight for the shower. We stepped outside and was talking with a few folks before leaving for the night. We heard a knock on the glass. We looked up and there stood our new friend all clean and dressed in his new clothes. And he had one other thing that we did not notice earlier, a smile on his face. Believe it or not on this journey there are people who are in desperate need of a few things that can make all the difference. Of course, it may take a few sacrifices on our part to see that they get them. But, what a joy to look up and see that man all cleaned up with a smile on his face.