My Hero
I think you all know the story. If not, you’ve been living in a cave for the last two weeks. In the midst of a lot of tough news from the mideast and politics in Washington, we have this refreshing story out of Detroit of a 56 year old man who will not be stopped from earning his own paycheck, even if it means walking 21 miles every day…every day without missing a single day in over ten years…in sub-zero temperatures, blizzard conditions, torrential rains in the spring, and 90+ degree heat in the summer. James Robertson walked every day and never missed a single day of work.Wow.I’ve had a few heroes over the years, but none eclipse this man as a personal inspiration.I’m not going to retell the news account. If you haven’t heard or read it, you can find it all over the web. But I’ve got some life lessons for all of us. Here they are:• Having an excuse isn’t the same as having a reason. We all have excuses. And a lot of people have become really good at amplifying theirs, attempting to convince others, and perhaps themselves, that their excuses are adequate. James had an adequate excuse for quitting his job and most would not have blamed him. Is your excuse the real reason? Or is it your way out. The 21 mile walk, the 20 below temps, the rain and the snow were not reason enough for James to not go to work. What’s yours? Does that sniffle really cut it?• Trying is not the same as doing. I loved the scene in the first Star Wars when Yoda was teaching Luke Skywalker to extract his starship out of a bog and Luke said, “Ok, I’ll try.” Yoda responded, “Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.” If your mindset is “I’ll try it,” you’ll likely not do it. But if your mindset is, “I’m going to get this done no matter what,” that’s when great things are accomplished. James didn’t try to go to work. He did.• Faithfulness is a way of life. James Robertson believed in being faithful. It was a characteristic of his life and it was illustrated with his work history. If you are a dependable, faithful person, it is evident everywhere. Your work history probably illustrates your church attendance, your family life, and your faithfulness to friends. Because being faithful is something that you are or are not, and it works its way out in everything else.• Loyalty builds commitment. James was asked why he was so committed to being at work every day even though it was hard for him to get there. He said that this company gave him a job when he needed it and he wanted to be loyal to them. When you are loyal to someone, you are committed to them. If you lack commitment, you lack loyalty. If you are a loyal husband, you will be committed to loving, supporting and caring for you wife…no matter what. If you are loyal to Jesus, you will be committed to following him, representing him and worshipping him.• Doing hard things builds honor, respect and admiration. This is one of the biggest stories this past month for a reason. James Robertson has inspired a lot of people. One of his coworkers said that some employees live ten minutes away from their job and have a hard time making it there on time. He said, “They all have excuses, but those excuses are bull. Look at James!” People love this story. They love it because we all admire and respect people who are willing to do hard things. And we look down on those who take the easy way out. What is your reputation?James isn’t my only hero (my next post will highlight Kayla Mueller), but he ranks high. When it comes to commitment, loyalty and faithfulness, he’s an inspiration to me and an example for all of us.