This was posted on 4/19/09 on DQW’s Facebook:

I know, I know, I know … what happens at the MIJC Exec Committee stays at the MIJC Exec Committee – but at the early hour of the morning, I don’t feel like following the rules – like someone is going to fire a Chaplain for sharing his “Inspirational Words!”. So, for your inspirational edification, here’s what I read at the 4/17/09 meeting:

“Tell Me Do You Know These Things?”

Congratulations friends! Thanks in part to our hard work and the energy that we have generated in our local chapters, the Michigan Jaycees are +4 … and I believe this will mark three straight quarters of growth. This is indeed quite an achievement and deserves to be highly celebrated tonight and for the next few weeks going into our quarterly assembly in Boyne. By the way, Boyne … are ya goin’?

The quarter has also seen a number of momentous events. A few of our members have started their own businesses – something that is quite courageous in these times of economic challenge. A number of our members welcomed new babies to their families. And few of our members said goodbye to loved ones – and they did so with the knowledge that we will see them again.

Now as some of you know, I’m a big fan of television shows and have quite often used shows to help come up with a lesson or two. This quarter, one of my favorite shows ended a 15 year run on NBC. ER ended two weeks ago and during the end the show paid tribute to a number of well written characters. When the show said goodbye to Dr. Abby Lockhart, the writers decided to use a couple of readings from the Bible to do. Specifically, they used the Book of Job as follows:

Where were you when I founded the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding … Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep? Have the gates of death been showed to you? What is the way to the abode of light? And where does darkness reside? Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me if you know all this?
Job 38:4, 16-20

This has meaning for us as well. Does anyone here know what four quarters of consecutive growth by the Michigan Jaycees feels like from the chairs that we’re currently in? Does anyone here know what it feels like to growth our organization by 100 members? How many of our general members know this? Do you know the pride gained from extending the opportunity to be a part of the greatest young person’s organization in the world to someone who needs a chance like this?

On that last one, I know the answer is yes … I just felt like throwing a rhetorical question at you. But on a serious note, do you know how much power our organization has? Do you realize how much we have and are changing the world? Do you truly know that The Sky’s the Limit?

Tell me, do you know these things? I think we all have an inkling of the idea, we have an idea of the answers to these questions. But we don’t really know the answers … yet. And when we do, just think of how happy we shall be! One quarter down, three more to go … let’s get ‘er done.