Above and Beyond
Dan Kunz
On a recent fishing trip, my friend, Keith, and I had a guide each day. Enrique was our guide for the first two days. Mario was our guide on the third day. Jorge was our guide on the fourth and final day. (We were bass fishing in Mexico.) All three were nice guys. All three seemed to be knowledgeable about where to fish. All three were polite and took care of our basic needs, such as plenty of beverages, stowing our equipment, and bringing us back safely. All three, to some degree, even suggested which lures to use.
The similarity ended there. Keith and I didn’t catch many fish the first three days and no big fish at all. I wouldn’t describe us as professionals, but we aren’t novices, either. The other eight people in our group did far better than we did, which made the experience even more frustrating. Finally, out of great kindness, the “host” of our group offered us his guide, Jorge, for the fourth and final day of the trip. That made all the difference! We both caught more fish and each of us caught what most people would consider a “trophy” bass. The reason? Jorge went far above and beyond what the other two guides did. He not only suggested lures, he hand-picked them out of our tackle boxes (or provided them himself), tied them on for us, and told us where to cast them. He netted our fish and took them off the hook for us. He weighed them and released them, too. The topper came at the end of the day. Without my asking, Jorge retrieved the case for my sunglasses out of my bag and gave it to me to store them. He then put the case back in my bag. Unbelievable! He got a very nice tip from us for his excellent service.
Jorge’s name really should have been Jesus. (Insert the Spanish pronunciation if you’d like!). Our Lord and Savior didn’t just come to guide us, he came to do things for us we couldn’t do. He went so far above and beyond what we deserved, it’s not even measurable. He literally did everything for us. He lived a perfect life and died a perfect death in our place, so that we could have the joy of being in heaven with him. And the amazing part is that it wasn’t for a tip or even a pat on the back. He did it all out of pure, unselfish, love for us!
How could we ever say, “thank you” enough to our “guide”, Jesus? Two ways are by guiding others to him and also by going above and beyond in our service to our fellow travelers on this “fishing” trip we call life. Don’t just do the minimum, overwhelm people with your kindness, compassion, and grace. Reflect Jesus’ heart of a servant. Amaze others with your desire to make their lives better. Galatians 6:10 “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
As my daughter’s college graduation class was told, “Don’t just go out and do well in the world. Go out and do good in the world.” Follow the example of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. Have the heart of a servant and by your actions, reveal the faith from which those actions come. Your “tip” will be in heaven, good and faithful servant!