Scooping Poop (Part 2)

previous blog, I referred to an article about Texas A&M’s president, R. Bowen Loftin, who has made a habit of scooping up the poop left by the horses as they parade around the field before Aggie home football games. The newspaper reported that some of his advisors have told him that this is not “a job befitting the president.” And yet, with this and many other small acts, Loftin has endeared himself to the university’s students, alumni, and faculty. Some of you read the title of this and the previous blog and thought of all the unpleasant “stuff” you have to deal with. You may have said to yourself, “In my ministry setting, I feel like I scoop poop all day, every day.” I know that some places come with an abundance of challenging circumstances and people. Scripture has plenty to say about persevering and about being content in all circumstances. But that’s not the focus of this blog. You see, Loftin isn’t forced to follow the horses – he chooses to do so. It’s a different kind of leadership when you choose to do something that others might view as distasteful or “beneath” you. Recently, I was at a megachurch to have lunch with one of the lead pastors. While I was waiting, the lead teaching pastor came out, saw me waiting, introduced himself and offered to help me. This pastor is a high-profile individual, someone who would be recognized by most other church leaders in the country. He didn’t ignore me or snap his fingers and ask an admin to take care of me – he just stopped to help. I know that leaders must manage their time wisely, especially if their church or ministry is very large. There are constant demands on your time. You shouldn’t be accessible to every single person who wants an appointment. You can’t show up for every single event or pitch in to help on all the different projects. But you can be accessible enough and present enough to demonstrate that nothing is beneath you. If you don’t, you may create a culture where everyone else will only do the things that are “befitting” their role. On the other hand, if nothing is beneath you, it will inspire others to work humbly and diligently to accomplish God’s mission for your church. It will build a loyal team that sticks with you when things aren’t going well. What shovel do you need to pick up this week? It’s easy to receive my blogs by email. Just sign-up on Feedburner by clicking here.]]>