Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Laboring with a Servant's Heart

Most of the time, I like to work with my office door open. Not only does it facilitate easy communication from members of our team, but I also like hearing the low buzz of chatter down the hall and in the lobby as it ebbs and flows through the day.

Yesterday, I heard a bit of commotion coming from the back of the building. Laughing, loud chatter, some banging about. It continued and I could tell I was missing out on something. When I could, I headed back to see what the fuss was about.

As it turns out, a large shipment of product had arrived at the back dock from China. Unfortunately, the boxes were not loaded on pallets for easy removal as they were supposed to be. Instead, it arrived as an entire semi-truck loaded floor to ceiling and front to back with 1,000 units of Learn & Master Piano, boxed in cases of six, all needing to be unloaded by hand and carried to the back of the warehouse. We only have one warehouse employee, Chris, who by all accounts would have been facing an impossible task.

Instead, there were at least ten “Legacies”, all dressed in office clothes, busily unloading the truck, sweating, laughing and joking about the ridiculousness of the task. Two of our Legacy ladies, Elizabeth and Micah, were already inside the truck, gracefully laboring in heels, pulling down and passing the large boxes to a half dozen of our men who would carry them off two at a time. I happily joined in. Interns, Shipping, Customer Service, Content Development, Sales, Internet Marketing - every department was represented by someone working to unload that truck.

Cameron snapped some pictures. Elizabeth mocked my whistling. Steve joked about being too short to reach the top. Everyone hassled Victor about selling more, so we could clear some more room. No one was excited about doing it, of course, but we all had fun with it anyway. We laughed, we sweated, and I couldn’t have been more proud. What would have taken Chris an entire back-breaking day was handled in less than an hour.

This was not planned, of course. No one was told to go unload the truck. Other than Chris, it’s in no one’s job description. I didn’t ask. In fact, I wouldn’t have even known about it had I not overheard the laughter. And honestly, chipping in to help that way wasn’t the least bit out of the ordinary for our team. I am repeatedly blessed by the ways they seek to serve one another. No, not over-serving to the point of neglecting one’s own responsibilities, but rather a simple attitude of looking for ways to chip in when one can. Not every employee was there. Many were in the middle of something else that needed to be completed - another way of serving. But those who could jumped in without being asked.

Heels, ties, and job titles aside, not one thought themselves too good to lend a hand and serve. It’s part of why I am so honored to serve alongside them.

Thank you team.