Serve for the Sake of Serving.
This is known as “The Lasting Purpose” from Dr. Sid Williams, late founder of Life University. Dr. Sid was an interesting guy. A GA Tech Alumnus who had been an athlete (football) as well as a salesman! This guy was a seriously focused leader who wanted to grow his vision beyond all others growth. The guy was intense, and as committed to chiropractic as anyone you will ever meet.
I love his lasting purpose. Somewhere in my office, I have an award that was presented to me after one of my seasons playing hockey at Life. It is called the Lasting Purpose Award, suggesting that I had exemplified the lasting purpose in my season at Life. I appreciated that, even the way in which it was presented to me…
“Boy, this is quite an honor… for you to be playing on that hockey FIELD, and being committed to the lasting purpose all at the same time. Congratulations!”
Dr. Sid had a way with words, and obviously a Southern Flair for life (it’s a RINK, not a field). Anyways, my point in sharing the lasting purpose today, isn’t to honor myself for that award. Though, I can only hope that I can still find ways and opportunities to live that today. I say this, because I am very busy in life now. A busy chiropractic office, The Garage, CrossFit Towne Lake, CrossFit Silos, CrossFit Bridgemill, The Garage Games, The Firebreather Challenge, The Garage Games Leagues, The 60 Day Turnaround (and the book to go with it). You see how easy it would be to simply get wrapped up in myself? And I believe that I do get wrapped in myself too often… an eternal effort to avoid that.
I often find myself looking for ways to leverage my office as a way to serve. Find me someone who cannot afford care at my office, but is deserving of my compassion. Bring me a missionary to serve, for all the serving they are doing. Help me find a way to pour life into someone who is being drained of their life. It all sounds so noble on the surface. But take a look at it, and I KNOW that I need to do more. And likewise, I know you might need to do more.
Adding a patient to my practice is minimally adding work to my life. I adjust 120-170 people a day depending on the day. It used to be 220-280, whew, those were the days. But my point is, if I could do 250, and I am only doing 150. By adding five to ten people to the mix, I am incurring some expenses, giving some of my time, but ultimately this is not sacrificial giving. There is no impact on my time, I am not taking away from time devoted to another business, or my family, wife, etc. So, the hunt. Where to find that place to give more, to love more, to serve more?
Enter the Be Rich Campaign. I love this time of year, when Northpoint Church and their campuses (Watermarke being my home campus) digs in and raises money for the community. This past Sunday our message was the launch of the Be Rich Campaign, and once again Andy Stanley dug in asking every adult to give $39.95 before they left the building. If it all works out, this will total $2.2M from all campuses. But I suspect it will greatly eclipse that number. However, I have to ask, is giving money an ample example of the lasting purpose? I don’t think so. Even if the budget is super tight, it is an easy way out compared to laying aside your busy life to give your time.
So I am on the mission, looking for some ways to give more of my time this season. I once served on the steering team that launched Watermarke church, that was cool, and I felt like my time was given wisely. I served on the board of the Cherokee County YMCA for a bit, worthwhile for some time. I just spent three hours at a Naturopath appointment with my wife, looking for more ways to kill and destroy this Lyme disease she is battling. I get that it is a wise way to spend my time, and a good investment of my time, but not outwardly serving. So she and I, and our small group, are looking for definite service projects this season. Places to spend our time serving. Last year we posted a few possibilities for you. This year we want to do the same.
So if you have a mission, or a group locally that you are involved with serving, let me know; and we will post it for the rest of the community to see and follow up with. Hopefully it will fit our group’s needs and we’ll get out to serve one of these great local missions. If you want to show others they are important, and get a great dose of the Lasting Purpose along the way, service is where it should start from. Let’s get some service hours in!