The Last Word
A sales manager and two of his sales reps are walking to lunch one day when they come across an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a Genie appears, saying, “I’ll give each of you just one wish.” One rep is quick to speak up first. He says, “I want to be in Aruba, relaxing on the beach, without a care in the world” Poof! He’s gone.
The next rep speaks up. “I want to be fishing in a stream in the Colorado Rockies.” Poof! He’s gone. The genie turns to the sales manager and says, “Your turn.” The manager says, “I want those two back in the office after lunch.” I guess the sales manager got the last word didn’t he.
Lately I have been doing a lot of things for the last time. Today I am writing my last newsletter article. So, I thought a lot about what I wanted to say in this last article. And one thing I want to say how much I have appreciated the support and love that so many of you have given to us. I cannot say that the thirteen and a half years here have all been easy but the support that I have received from so many really helped through those times. Cherry Avenue Christian Church is a very loving church and your generosity has always amazed me. I hope that you will continue to be the great people that you are and give the new minister the same kind of love and support. Whatever has been done here in the past decade plus is due to the church body and not me.
In his book, Becoming a Person of Influence, John Maxwell tells the story about a famous 19th century organist who traveled from town to town giving concerts. In each town he hired a boy to pump the organ during the concert. After one performance, the hired boy said to the organist, “We sure had a great concert tonight, didn’t we?” “What do you mean — ‘we’?” the organist said. “I had a great concert. Now run on home.” The next night when the organist was halfway through a magnificent piece, the organ suddenly quit. The organist continued to pound the keys, but no sound came out. The audience became restless. At this point, the little boy stuck his head around the corner of the organ and said, “We’re not having a great concert tonight, are we?”
I am thankful for being here and I may have been the one that many people saw but I want you to understand that the music from this church comes not from the pulpit but from the congregation. Thank you all for a wonderful concert.
“The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.” (1 Corinthians 3:8)