22 And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers. Philemon 1:22 (NIV)
“Do you know how to do a proper fold?” I wasn’t expecting that question. I was caught like a deer in headlights. Word had been that clothes were being folded wrong throughout the store. I had gone through the Mervyn’s training. I was supposed to know this one. I had been working there for weeks and it probably had been me folding all the clothes wrong. I thought my folding was fine. Apparently not. It worked at home but it wasn’t the “Mervyn’s way.” So what did I say? You’d expect me to come clean and say, “No. I don’t remember the proper fold. Please remind me.” But no. Guess who lied? This guy! “The proper fold? Of course. We learned that in training.” I said confidently. Yes, I lied. She was the manager and I was the new guy. I feared them telling me I wasn’t Mervyn’s material if I didn’t remember a simple fold. So she asked what I didn’t expect, “Show me.” NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! What happened next was the saddest attempt of a proper fold. I probably looked like one of those bomb squad guys trying to deactivate a bomb. Sweat was dripping as I carefully folded the garment. It took forever. She never said anything. She just watched and allowed me to make a fool of myself. Finally I was done and I shared my hard work. It was my best folding attempt to date. She said, “That’s not a proper fold.” She pulled apart my folding masterpiece and pulled out this foam, flat, square thing that looked like a clip board without the clip. She then proceeded to fold the garment with this foam board as her guide. As much as I wanted to say, “Oh, you meant the proper fold…” I just kept my mouth shut. They didn’t fire me that day. But I did learn a lesson in humility, honesty, and the proper fold.
I’ve heard it said that you can’t expect what you don’t inspect. That’s what the manager was doing—inspecting my work. Paul tells Philemon, “Get a room ready for me because I’m hoping to be their soon.” How do you think that affected the way Philemon planned to treat Onesimus: “Paul might show up at any time. I’d better do what’s right.”
We all need that added accountability, right? None of us like it but all of us need it. We need someone asking us the tough questions to help spur us to do what we should and not do what we shouldn’t. Who is this for you? Not the person that buys your excuses, the one that keeps you accountable. If you don’t have someone you need someone. Give someone permission to be that for you.
Questions to consider:
Why do you need accountability?
Who can you ask to be that for you and why them?
What’s your plan to be obedient to today’s lesson?
Comments
Post a Comment