It was the last stop of the day. The team had already completed five installations and was getting its groove on. So much so that no instructions were necessary. Once they arrived at the location, everyone just went to work doing what they knew needed to be done and filling in where they saw a need. That is how it is with high-performing teams.
No one is concerned about their piece being the most important, getting the credit, or doing their favorite part. They just focus on the outcome. In this case, the outcome was a latrine for a home where one never existed.
It's truly remarkable how grateful people are when they are blessed with what most of us consider to be a basic provision...although anyone who travels a little knows how valuable a clean restroom is.
The health benefits are staggering, let alone the dignity and luxury a private, clean latrine provides. In these villages, animals roam free. Dogs, chickens, and even pigs are found roaming around the properties, inside and outside the homes. And they clean up much of what hits the ground, tracking that with them wherever they go. So, without proper disposal, things find their way back into homes, on clothing and bare feet, spreading germs and illness with them. You can see why people are so grateful.
“For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for all the world is mind and everything in it…Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.” (Psalm 50:10-15)
Driving around the hills of Honduras the idea of cattle on a thousand hills came to mind. We saw more than our share of hills and how owning any amount of cattle was a sign of prosperity.
It also struck me that as we spend time chasing life around like there's a treasure to catch or waiting for God to bless us with a desire we have, to remember to start with gratitude.
Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and then he will provide.
Most of us look for the provision first and then say thank you. Or get frustrated because our actions don't always result in an equal reaction from God. We just want our imagined tomorrow so bad, that it distracts us from today. If we're honest, we have a lot in our present to be grateful for and we should start there.
If you find yourself in a place where you are frustrated about not being able to grasp the wind you have been chasing, start by forcing a mindset of unreasonable gratitude. That perspective will spark in you an energy that has the power to fuel the next chapter. God's given you much already, let Him know you appreciate it. Heck, if you have the means to even read this message, you are doing better than most....
And...if you want to strengthen your team, build connection, trust, and loyalty, find ways to serve together. There's nothing quite like it and the results will show.
