Copyright info

Champions

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. (Colossians 3:23)

It would be hard not to see the dedication to the task at hand while watching the young medal hopefuls participating in the Winter Olympics. You can see it in their intense faces, their pumped muscles, their strained eyes. They have one focus and that is on being the best. What you can't see is the years of honing that focus, though it isn't hard to imagine. Early morning practices, sacrifices of time and normal youthful activities. Why do they do it? What will the tears, frustrations, aching bodies and tons of money spent reap? Well, for one thing, the promise of fame, fortune and a lifetime of product endorsements. Becoming a champion used to be about setting the standard for the best of the best, but now it seems that it is something else. This disturbs me.  I don't know when our culture made the ninety-degree turn, but somewhere along the way, personal best has changed its color from crystal clear to green. And this subtle shift in perspective is pandemic.

Years ago, in the grade school my oldest daughter attended, there was a janitor extraordinaire.  Jim was an elderly man, and probably worked to supplement his Social Security. But he did his job with the utmost dignity and confidence. He knew the infrastructure of the old building so well, that if a light flickered anywhere, he mentally could trace the cause to its source. Regardless of which hat he was wearing, be it electrician, carpenter, floor sweeper, toilet unstopper, he applied himself to any task as though the very function of the school depended solely on him. He was the first one there in the morning and the last one leaving at night. He had a quick answer for any question. He knew exactly what supplies were in need of replenishing and he made sure everything was where it should be.  But the thing Jim did best was smile. He had a good word to say to everyone and anyone, which was infectious. A few pleasant words exchanged with Jim could brighten the dullest of days. Old Jim had a gift and he used it well and was one of those rarest of human beings who lived his philosophy every day.  Jim had what used to be known as a "work ethic" or sometimes called "pride in the doing".

In retrospect, I can make safe assumptions that Jim's paycheck did not reflect the long hours given and his sincere dedication to the job. After all, he was a janitor and it is likely he made a janitor's wage. This is the system. And if the system says mopping floors is only worth X, then that's what mopping floors nets. This is why no one ever says "I want to be a janitor when I grow up".  But Jim did it.  And regardless of the road that lead him to the job, he accepted it with grace and dived into it with style and good spirit. He made it look easy and more importantly he made it look as though it was the best job in the world. To my way of thinking, Jim achieved not only his personal best, he made a faultless contribution to the good of the whole.

 

When all is said and done, isn't a champion one who strives for his/her personal best with no regard for what the world sees and rewards? Shouldn't personal best be about what God can depend on you for?  Who couldn't cheerfully do a job that pays well? Only a champion can do a job well for the sake of doing it well. How sad that in a world gone mad focusing only on what is due us, we have abandoned the only thing that gives us true purpose and satisfaction. Jim seemed to understand this but probably never knew he was a champion among us. And the world never knew it either. Unfortunately, the world doesn't realize we could use more real champions like him. The people who are supposed to know about these things believe gold medals make for good commercials, after all, aren't you convinced to buy things because a Gold Medalist recommends it?

You know, I am such an anomaly, frankly, I'd rather trust the unpaid opinion of a hard working, cheerful janitor who has nothing to gain but self-respect.