Illustrations

Your work is an expression of the image of God in you, and it's worth thinking about how your work reflects His character. Work as simple as cleaning out a closet reflects the God who makes order out of chaos. Holding a stop sign for children to cross the road creates an environment of safety that reflects the God who protects. The person who flips burgers is providing food, which is something that God does. A father or mother who nurtures a child reflects the love, patience, and perseverance of God.

On May, 19th, 1780, in Hartford, Connecticut. The sky went from blue to gray at noon. Shortly thereafter the sky was so dark that men believed the end of the universe had come and fell to their knees begging for a final blessing. The House of Representatives was meeting, and many representatives asked for the meeting to be adjourned immediately. The Speaker of the House, Colonel Davenport, rose to his feet and silenced the men with these words, “The Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment.

The sign in the store window read: NO HELP WANTED. As two men passed by, one said to the other, “You should apply—you'd be great.” Or maybe you heard about the guy who said, “I never like to drink coffee on the job because then I toss and turn at my desk all day.”

Source: Los Angeles Times

A young man who had been hired by the personnel department of a large supermarket chain reported to work at one of the stores. The manager greeted him with a warm handshake and a smile, handed him a broom and said, “Your first job will be to sweep out the store.”

“But,” the young man said, “I’m a college graduate.”

“I’m sorry,” the manager said, “I didn’t know that. Here, give me the broom and I’ll show you how.”

Source: Unknown

Stephen Barnes was a proponent of conventional leadership thinking that challenges people to make mistakes as they stretch themselves to improve. Apparently Stephen's boss didn't share his views. The CEO stepped into Stephen's office and bluntly said, “It's all right to be wrong, Barnes, just as long as you don't do it on company time.”

Source: In Other Words

Adam’s wife was quite a talker and seldom stayed on the phone for less than an hour. One day he was surprised when he heard her hang up after just twenty-five minutes so he went into see if there was problem. When he expressed concern, Irene cheerfully explained, “Oh, no, everything is fine. I just dialed the wrong number.”

Source: Houston Chronicle

A classified in a newspaper read: “Encyclopedia for Sale—No longer needed—Wife already knows everything.”

Source: Unknown

A sign in a bank lobby reads: “Please note that this bank is installing new drive-through teller machines enabling customers to withdraw cash without leaving their vehicles. Customers using this new facility are requested to use the procedures outlined below when accessing their accounts. After months of careful research, male and female procedures have been developed. Please follow the appropriate steps for your gender.”

In 2004, Dove commissioned a study that interviewed women around the globe asking them what they thought about beauty. Only 2% of the women described themselves as beautiful. A companion article quoted Angelina Jolie as saying, “I struggle with low-self esteem all the time. I think everyone does. I have so much wrong with me, it's unbelievable.”

Source: In Other Words

Justin the Martyr was executed for his faith around A.D. 165. His writings and leadership helped shape and influence countless believers. He has given the oldest non-biblical description of Christian worship we have. He wrote, “On the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read as long as time permits.