Ready, Set, Grow!
Do What’s Right
April 30th, 2024
Ready — I was a new assistant manager of a retail store in Denver, CO. To increase sales during the Christmas season, the store sponsored a drawing for a bicycle. Parents and children completed a card with their name, address, and phone number, which was dropped into a large box. On Christmas Eve, after the store closed, the manager drew a card out of the box and read a child’s name. To my shock he announced “I don’t like that name!” and proceeded to select another name from the box. It wasn’t right, since the first child was deprived of the bike they won.
Set — It might appear the manager’s actions were a small thing. We all recognize, however, that small things add up to big things. The Bible offers this wisdom, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with a lot. Whoever is dishonest with very little is dishonest with a lot” (Luke 16:10).
In time the manager was let go. His small action observed during the drawing was multiplied in other negative ways, which resulted in his dismissal. The incident I observed in the drawing for a bicycle reminded me to always do right, even in the smallest of actions.
Grow! — Former president Harry Truman kept a quotation from Mark Twain on his desk, “Always do right. This will gratify some of the people and astonish the rest.” Are there small incidents you’ve observed that impacted your desire to do the right thing? Why not share the story with your team this week?