Mr. President
I have had a topic on my mind a great deal the past few weeks, but have not been able to really formulate it into words. So if ramble, refer back to the name of my blog. It will all makes sense.
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to step up and serve. A very tall man, with a very big house, with a very high roof, needed some help removing shingles. It was a long day, but what stuck with me most was the fact that when I arrived, there were only two people on the roof. The very tall man and his elders quorum president. I did not know this at first, but learned it over the day. I jumped in and started shaving shingles.
As the day progressed, we were joined the elders quorum secretary, a couple extra family members, and even extra shingle shovels. We worked long and hard. Again, what impressed me most was the fact that when all the shingles were removed, it was the elders quorum president and myself that were the last ones off the roof.
Once we hit the ground, we all jumped in to help the ground crews to pick up fallen shingles and put them in the truck. We loaded wheel barrows, garbage cans, and tarps with lots of heavy shingles. We loaded them all into the back of a large dump truck and proceeded to sweep and fold tarps. My body was sore, I could barely walk straight, but as I climbed into my car, I noticed that it was the elders quorum president helping the tall man fold up the last stray tarp.
So, what does this have to do with anything?
There was not preaching, no teaching, no harsh calls to repentance, but it was evident that there was a man to cared about his quorum individually and as a whole. He led and loved through his service. He set an example for all those who were there to observe. I learned from him. I talked about him several times through out the rest of the day. The tall man's son was there to witness the work and the listened to the ravings that continued as we hung together as a family. In the end, he taught how to lead.
Now I change my ramble a little bit. My mind has also been thinking about an event that happened many years ago. The Queen and I were not yet married, but engaged to be so. We had both spent the previous three months attending a trades school, without employment. The funding in both of our checking accounts was extremely low. So, what did we do?, we took a job that required both of us to move to the opposite side of the country, away from family and friends. We both became boarders in different house holds since we were only engaged. It was kind of stressful.
I remember one stressful weekend after a long week of training for our new job. The Queen was trying to balance her check book and realized that she was not going to be able to meet her obligations for much longer. I had a little extra in my accounts, so I suggested that she use some of my funds to meet her obligations. It just didn't sit well with her. She felt that she needed to pull her own and not rely upon me. It was then that we both had a little learning/bonding lesson.
If we were going to start this journey together, it did not matter where the funds came from, they were going to be used to get us where we wanted to go, together. What was mine was hers and what was hers was mine. However, we also felt that we both needed to feel that we were contributing fairly to the pool. We learned that being companions was not about having one of us rule over the other, but that together we worked for the same common goal, sounding familiar? We needed to become one in purpose and not feel we were ruled by one.
How did we meet in the middle. We started delivering newspapers together while in training and waiting for the first paycheck. Together, we folded, delivered, and collected. Together, we accomplished our goals.
Finally, I my mind goes to a recent interview I had. I was not given the position, because the interviewer did not feel I had enough experience leading in certain work areas. I understood where he was coming from and could see how he might feel that way. So I asked, where do I get this experience so that I might be better prepared when the next opportunity came along. I was a little frustrated by the response. I was told to take every opportunity to participate in activities the pertained to those work areas. OK?
So, I leave with this thought. We don't learn to lead unless we have examples. To lead does not mean you are the boss and hold all dominion over those under you, but that you care about helping them grow, learn, and develop in their individual talents. When given the opportunity, you allow them to test the waters, learn from their successes and failures and then be there to pick them up if they might fall. Most of the time knowing that you will support them and be there regardless of the outcome is what is most important. When we are all working towards the same goal it is important to remember that we are leading together. We counsel together, work together, and achieve together.
Maybe we need to see more of that in the world today. Whether, at home, work, school, mission, or play. We need to become one in purpose and the rest will weed itself out.
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to step up and serve. A very tall man, with a very big house, with a very high roof, needed some help removing shingles. It was a long day, but what stuck with me most was the fact that when I arrived, there were only two people on the roof. The very tall man and his elders quorum president. I did not know this at first, but learned it over the day. I jumped in and started shaving shingles.
As the day progressed, we were joined the elders quorum secretary, a couple extra family members, and even extra shingle shovels. We worked long and hard. Again, what impressed me most was the fact that when all the shingles were removed, it was the elders quorum president and myself that were the last ones off the roof.
Once we hit the ground, we all jumped in to help the ground crews to pick up fallen shingles and put them in the truck. We loaded wheel barrows, garbage cans, and tarps with lots of heavy shingles. We loaded them all into the back of a large dump truck and proceeded to sweep and fold tarps. My body was sore, I could barely walk straight, but as I climbed into my car, I noticed that it was the elders quorum president helping the tall man fold up the last stray tarp.
So, what does this have to do with anything?
There was not preaching, no teaching, no harsh calls to repentance, but it was evident that there was a man to cared about his quorum individually and as a whole. He led and loved through his service. He set an example for all those who were there to observe. I learned from him. I talked about him several times through out the rest of the day. The tall man's son was there to witness the work and the listened to the ravings that continued as we hung together as a family. In the end, he taught how to lead.
Now I change my ramble a little bit. My mind has also been thinking about an event that happened many years ago. The Queen and I were not yet married, but engaged to be so. We had both spent the previous three months attending a trades school, without employment. The funding in both of our checking accounts was extremely low. So, what did we do?, we took a job that required both of us to move to the opposite side of the country, away from family and friends. We both became boarders in different house holds since we were only engaged. It was kind of stressful.
I remember one stressful weekend after a long week of training for our new job. The Queen was trying to balance her check book and realized that she was not going to be able to meet her obligations for much longer. I had a little extra in my accounts, so I suggested that she use some of my funds to meet her obligations. It just didn't sit well with her. She felt that she needed to pull her own and not rely upon me. It was then that we both had a little learning/bonding lesson.
If we were going to start this journey together, it did not matter where the funds came from, they were going to be used to get us where we wanted to go, together. What was mine was hers and what was hers was mine. However, we also felt that we both needed to feel that we were contributing fairly to the pool. We learned that being companions was not about having one of us rule over the other, but that together we worked for the same common goal, sounding familiar? We needed to become one in purpose and not feel we were ruled by one.
How did we meet in the middle. We started delivering newspapers together while in training and waiting for the first paycheck. Together, we folded, delivered, and collected. Together, we accomplished our goals.
Finally, I my mind goes to a recent interview I had. I was not given the position, because the interviewer did not feel I had enough experience leading in certain work areas. I understood where he was coming from and could see how he might feel that way. So I asked, where do I get this experience so that I might be better prepared when the next opportunity came along. I was a little frustrated by the response. I was told to take every opportunity to participate in activities the pertained to those work areas. OK?
So, I leave with this thought. We don't learn to lead unless we have examples. To lead does not mean you are the boss and hold all dominion over those under you, but that you care about helping them grow, learn, and develop in their individual talents. When given the opportunity, you allow them to test the waters, learn from their successes and failures and then be there to pick them up if they might fall. Most of the time knowing that you will support them and be there regardless of the outcome is what is most important. When we are all working towards the same goal it is important to remember that we are leading together. We counsel together, work together, and achieve together.
Maybe we need to see more of that in the world today. Whether, at home, work, school, mission, or play. We need to become one in purpose and the rest will weed itself out.
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