A few weeks ago I saw this picture on Twitter:
I think there’s something awesome to this place, or of any place that’s willing to have its employees go so far beyond the normal to do something remarkable.
And seeing this reminded me of something those of us who work with volunteers forget:
People don’t mind doing menial tasks when they see their small actions make a big difference.
I bet these guys didn’t grow up as kids wishing to be window washers.
I bet their parents didn’t agonize over which schools had the best custodial arts programs.
But I bet they couldn’t wait for Halloween, when they could dress up as their favorite hero and run around the neighborhood all night. There’s a part of us that never outgrows that.
And now they get to do it for real.
Everyday they get to be heroes. Everyday they get paid to dress up like it’s Halloween (just like when they were kids), climb to the top of the world, and save people from certain doom.
When they wash windows they do more than squeegee grime off glass. They give hope to every child that seems them. They remind us that just because a job is small, just because it’s not under the spotlight doesn’t mean it’s not important. Just because it doesn’t receive the applause of the crowd doesn’t mean it’s not worth applauding or worth doing with gusto.
I bet these guys didn’t grow up with any idea they’d be doing what they’re doing now. But I bet most of them wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Maybe the problem in our churches isn’t people don’t have time to do what needs doing. Maybe what we’re asking them to do is too small. Maybe they’ve forgotten how important it is because WE’VE forgotten how important it is, and how important it is to say how important it is.
Everybody wants to be a hero. And everybody CAN be a hero. We just need to remember how our small acts make a big difference.
I think there’s something awesome to this place, or of any place that’s willing to have its employees go so far beyond the normal to do something remarkable.
And seeing this reminded me of something those of us who work with volunteers forget:
People don’t mind doing menial tasks when they see their small actions make a big difference.
I bet these guys didn’t grow up as kids wishing to be window washers.
I bet their parents didn’t agonize over which schools had the best custodial arts programs.
But I bet they couldn’t wait for Halloween, when they could dress up as their favorite hero and run around the neighborhood all night. There’s a part of us that never outgrows that.
And now they get to do it for real.
Everyday they get to be heroes. Everyday they get paid to dress up like it’s Halloween (just like when they were kids), climb to the top of the world, and save people from certain doom.
When they wash windows they do more than squeegee grime off glass. They give hope to every child that seems them. They remind us that just because a job is small, just because it’s not under the spotlight doesn’t mean it’s not important. Just because it doesn’t receive the applause of the crowd doesn’t mean it’s not worth applauding or worth doing with gusto.
I bet these guys didn’t grow up with any idea they’d be doing what they’re doing now. But I bet most of them wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Maybe the problem in our churches isn’t people don’t have time to do what needs doing. Maybe what we’re asking them to do is too small. Maybe they’ve forgotten how important it is because WE’VE forgotten how important it is, and how important it is to say how important it is.
Everybody wants to be a hero. And everybody CAN be a hero. We just need to remember how our small acts make a big difference.
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