Go the Extra Mile

I'll never forget the first time our cell group was in charge of cleaning up after one of our annual church picnics. We were up at Medford Oaks Campground, and everyone, except for our group was already gone. We were responsible for making sure the picnic area was clean and put back to how it originally was. In my mind it looked great, but Sean was not satisfied. So, he had all of us go practically inch by inch, not only in the picnic area, but all the way around the picnic area also, picking up trash. This included the tiniest pieces of trash that weren't ours.
I remember being so annoyed (because I can be selfish) and accusing him of being a perfectionist, in a bad way. He explained to me, that it wasn't perfectionism, it was having a spirit of excellence.

Last night I went on my monthly grocery shopping trip to Food 4 Less. Which by the way, is going very well! I am now in my 3rd month of doing it, and needless to say, I had a lot of groceries. While I was bagging up my second cart of groceries, a young man who worked there named Chase came over and very nicely offered me help. Now I was always under the impression that at Food 4 Less you bag your own groceries, and that is true, but Chase went above and beyond what was being asked of him in his job description. Not only did he bag my groceries, but he helped me bring them out to my car in the pouring down rain. What do I think of that? SPIRIT OF EXCELLENCE!

So many times in my life I try to just "skate" by. Like all of us, I am busy, so at times I do the minimum that will make whatever I am doing acceptable. I'm ashamed to say that I don't always have a spirit of excellence. I think we can all relate though...at least in some areas. So, this week, I am deliberately going to go above and beyond my "job description". I want to have what Sean and that young man Chase has - and that is the desire to go the extra mile.

Matthew 5:41 says: And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.