ONLINE CHURCH BULLETIN

DO WE REALLY CARE

A businessman took a long flight across the country. After the plane reached cruising altitude, the flight attendants began serving everyone a meal. As the man picked up his fork to eat his salad, he noticed a big black roach just beneath a lettuce leaf. Disgusted and infuriated, he didn't wait to return home to do something about it. He started a hot letter of complaint as soon as he arrived at the hotel where he was staying. In fact, he used the hotel stationary where he was staying to voice his complaint. He unloaded all his fury in that letter to the president of the airlines and dropped it in the mail early the next morning.

Upon his return home at the end of the week, he was surprised to find a special delivery letter awaiting him. It was perfectly typed on the sophisticated letterhead of the airline — and from the president himself. It dripped with diplomacy. Apologetically, the president assured the executive that immediate action was being taken.: "I have temporarily pulled that particular aircraft off the line. We will strip the upholstery from all the seats and remove the carpet from the floor. New fabric has been ordered. It will not return to service until everything is in perfect condition." He continued, "The flight attendant who served you your meal has been reprimanded. Her job, I can assure you, is in jeopardy. You have my word that such an embarrassing incident will never occur again. We hope you will continue to fly on our airline"... signed by the president of the airline.

Well! The businessman was impressed. That's more like it, he thought. However, just as he was gloating over the influence he wielded he noticed something a little unusual. Quite by accident, the secretary who had typed the president's letter had inadvertently included the businessman's complaint letter in the same envelope. As the man looked over his original letter of complaint, he noticed that a note at the bottom had been written to the secretary in the president's own handwriting. Obviously penned in a hurry, it said, "Send this guy the standard roach letter."

So often we reply to people who have some very real problems with our "standard roach letter." We should never be too busy to lend a helping hand to those who need it. Your home, your neighborhood, your country is looking to Christians to lead the way in compassion. "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. " Galatians 6:10.

For His Cause,
Tim Woodward