Every organization is having difficulty making plans right now and that includes our Bible camp at Kenosee Lake. So, when our board sat down at their computers to talk about our vision for the future, I braced myself for a long and tense meeting.
When you ask nine people for their opinion about what to do or what is most important, you can expect some disagreement. Throw in the fact that these people are on the board because they love the camp and have strong feelings about it, and you can imagine that we had a lively discussion, to say the least.
When the meeting ended, I wondered, “How long will it take someone to email me and disagree with some of the decisions that we made?” As the chairman of the board, I get lots of emails, before and after every meeting, telling me how we could have done things differently.
It did not take long.
The next morning, one of the ladies emailed the entire board. However, instead of complaining, her email was filled with sentences like, “James, I appreciate all the time you spend doing maintenance at the camp” and “Angela, your comments yesterday were great!”
This lady addressed each board member by name and then complimented them. That was the entire note. No complaining. No lobbying. No criticizing. Just a simple, short, very specific note of encouragement for each of the other board members.
When I read that, I smiled and thought, “That is what we can do for one another.” We can lead, lift, and inspire each other. We can focus on the many things that we appreciate rather than the few things that we dislike.
Proverbs 11:25 states, “A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed."
Can we be generous with our love and our appreciation of others? More to the point, will you take thirty seconds right now and send someone a note? Your words will encourage someone else and they will change your focus as well.
A world that is upset and arguing much of the time needs someone who will notice, and point out, something good.
