This is Irritating

Are you interested in knowing what is bugging me lately? I thought you might. Several things come to mind rather quickly. I caution you though. It could get ugly. Not for you but for me. It seems that anytime I post I get in some kind of trouble. Today will not be any different.
First thing that is bothering me is communal suicide/victimization/apathy. Face it we have a lot of issues in our county that is killing us. Drug use, health issues, child abuse, family breakdown...I could go on. We face huge obstacles daily. It appears as though that we have resigned ourselves to failure. It's as if we cannot solve everything or this one thing we cannot do anything. Really? The war on drugs appears to be lost so we cannot address the issue of obesity or child abuse? It feels like a new study comes out every week saying we are number one is something bad. We're number one in obesity, number one in diabetes, number one in drug overdoses, number one in... Yet where is the outrage? Who is standing up demanding change? What brave soul is willing to take the hits for proclaiming the truth? Who will say "we are hurting and our ranking is not good, the reality is what it is but we can change that reality today and going forward. Long before we had a followership problem we had a leadership problem. Leaders need to say "enough is enough" and start leading. Lead by example. We have an obesity problem. What would solve that? Diet and exercise (yes, there are some who have medical issues beyond this but the rest of us cannot use that as an excuse to apathetic and obese.) As a leader, I have the power to influence those who are around me. I do that be leading the way. The people who follow my lead will become leaders in this as well. Eventually, we will not be number one in obesity. Some day we will be number one in fitness! It starts today and it starts with leadership.
Second thing that is bothering me is board work. It seems to me that boards do not work because either the board member says nothing or the CEO makes sure that the board is neutered. The deal seems to be, recruit people who are nice and have a rubber stamp. Honestly, I want to be nice but I do not have a rubber stamp. I want to make a difference and a rubber stamp does nothing to improve the organization. Funny thing is I tell people that and they say great we need a guy like you, until the 2nd board meeting. You realize that they do not want input, they want status quo. Improvement requires change and change is painful. Besides, most agency directors are ego driven, it's what got them there. Who are you to tell them anything? By the way, don't you dare mention the elephant in the room.
There's an elephant in the room. No, there is a herd of elephants in the room. What? No, we can't talk about that! It's personal, it's taboo, it's status quo endangering... Call me crazy but does character matter? Depending on your personal candidate it does or it doesn't, but maybe character does matter. Preachers who fool around on their wives, lie, cheap and steal should be run out of town. Most people would agree with that. Politicians who make laws should obey them. Those who fight big tobacco should not smoke. Those who teach nutrition and fitness should be fit. I am not talking perfection but I am talking progression. Practice what you preach? I think that's fair. It certainly should be talked about especially in a board meeting.
There is a saying that says, "do what you love and you never have to work a day in your life." We have too many people doing work and not enough people pursuing their passion. Is it your passion that people are fit? If not, then don't be a fitness guru. Is your passion to see people cured of a disease? If not, don't work in the medical profession. Is it your passion to see lives transformed by the gospel? If not, get out of the way of those who are passionate about the spreading of the Kingdom. Community builders, Kingdom builders, health care people, local office holders need to passionate about the people they serve not how they can climb the corporate or political ladder. You got data and statistics? Fine but tell me how many beggars found bread because of what you do.
Lastly, though not the last of my pet peeves, excuses. Is it just me or does everybody seem to answer concerns, critiques or complaints the same way? "Yeah but..." Or even worse the answer is "true you are right and yes I should but I won't." Hang on for a second before killing the messenger. I have spent most of my adult life with the knowledge of what I should do or need to do and not doing it. Today I have a choice. Do I continue with my knowledge and not be obedient to the call of change or do I change. I could have failed a thousand times before but today I have the opportunity to succeed. With the gun up to my head, what's it going to be? Sadly, its not just friends who are concerned about our change. God Himself, through His Spirit, has us under conviction and we treat Him the same way we treat our friends, co-workers and people who have authority over us, none of your business, God. Sorry, Lord, we can't talk about that.

Of course, it's hard to see God or people in a room with all of these elephants.