The Car Keys and a Gallon of Milk

I am afraid I am not as patient as I should be when it comes to watching others develop. I did see my own children grow and mature over time, so this is not a new concept for me. And I have grown up a little bit myself. A little bit. Somehow it just takes time for me to adjust to the idea with another set of people.

You recall how when the kids were small, you poured the milk yourself - always - they never did that for themselves. You even used a special lidded cup for them. Then as their hands became more coordinated, they advanced to cup without a lid. You watched to be sure the cup wasn’t placed too close to the table’s edge. When it was, you moved it back out of the danger zone.

One day the little voice said, “Let me pour it,” and you helped them do just that. Once they had developed enough to do so, you let them pour their own glass of moo juice. And then the day came when you tossed over the set of car keys and you said, “Run to the store for me and pick up a gallon of milk, please.”

In the area of leadership development, we have to let our people learn by doing. This is how they enlarge their range of proficiency; one task teaches a group of skills and the next a new aptitude set. As their abilities expand, we increase their responsibility. At the start, we are pouring the milk, watching shaky hands maneuver the cup and by the end, they have the keys and are excitedly driving off without us. They have seen it done and experienced it for themselves. Now they can and do lead.

I am as hopeful for my increasing patience as I am for their growth in leadership roles within The Kingdom. Having leaders is a matter of growing them.

Tim Gramly
Education Pastor
SHBC
April 14, 2009