Leadership Laughs

Have you ever been lured to buy a product only to find that the add-ons nearly doubled its cost? Aren't you glad God doesn't charge us for all the extras He provides us in life?

Admit it; you've been there. You received a gift that makes you grimace – an orange tie with purple stripes, perhaps, or a battery-operated radish peeler. You can't be impolite and say, "I don't like it. I want to exchange it." So what do you say?

The phone rang once, twice - then someone picked it up. “You've got the wrong number!” a husky male voice snapped before the line went dead.

There are times in our lives when we are hesitant to say something out of fear. Not fear of being "shot," but fear of being "shot down," fear of being ridiculed, fear of being embarrassed. As a result, given the opportunity to take a stand for Christ, we choose silence instead. It seems "safe" considering the circumstances. May God help us to replace our fear of men with the fear of God.

The muffled rant out in the hall prompted the fading in of a closed-eyes smile across my travel-worn face. It wasn't the words of the outburst – garbled French curses for the sake of quiet – but the images from earlier that night that animated a mind's view of what I could not see presently. I will share with you what I saw that you may smile with me but first, I hope you allow me to do my best in bringing your imagination to the Palm Beach. Should I succeed, perhaps you will have a greater appreciation from which to share my smile.