Do you need some inspiration? A reason for the season? I’ve got one for you. This month we had two killer Eight-to-Five Unplugged events. We wanted to go deep and God showed up.
“A Marketplace Christmas” was our focus. “Celebrating blessings…building hope” was our theme. We had a special friend, Brian Sotorske, Plant Supervisor at Superior Industries, share his incredible message. He spoke of his life and death experience two years ago and how his coworkers from his WorkMatters workplace group became his “brothers and sisters” at the hospital. If you have ever questioned the power of relationships at work, take 15 minutes and listen to this moving talk “Life Is Like A Box Of Chocolates”. http://www.workmatters.org/events/eight_to_five_unplugged/listen_to_speakers/
As moving and impactful as that was, there’s more.
Prior to the event, we felt lead to find a family where the primary provider had been displaced from their job. We wanted to offer to this group of business leaders the opportunity to “pay it forward”. To take some of our blessings and help a family in need. Basically, we just wanted to tell their story and pass a hat.
It was amazing to watch God deliver my friend Kevin Davis to us just three days before the first event. We have history. He was in an early WorkMatters workplace group. Kevin is a humble, mighty man of God and a father of four young children. He worked for seven years as Supervisor for Martin Custom Homes. I wish you could have been there to hear his boss of seven years, Jeff Martin, who had just had to lay Kevin off two months ago, tearfully describe what this man meant to him.
Then we passed the hat. Sam Bates and I were hoping for $250. Are you ready? $800! We were blown away. Later that day, we got to surprise Kevin with this whole story and present him with the money. The following week, we did the exact same thing at our second event. And the result? $620! This group of business leaders, most of whom have never met Kevin, paid forward almost $1,500!
But there is more. And THIS is why I want you to hear the story. When we delivered the $620 to Kevin last Friday, in his completely humble way, he mentions that he actually gave away about half of the money! I said, “What? These people gave their hard earned money to help you and your family Kevin!” He went on to quietly describe the single mother working a shift at McDonalds and how much more she needed the money than they did.
Pay It Forward…without a job, four children, a wife, Christmas coming, and Kevin’s servant heart is pounding away.
Pay It Forward…business leaders dig into their pockets and purses to encourage a brother in Christ. Not even knowing that they may be helping a young, single mother working at McDonalds.
Need some inspiration? A reason for the season?
“Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve…”
Matthew 20:28
