THE GIFT OF DIFFERENCE

I sit on a soaring plane with clouds below me
As sunlight penetrates my window from high above I witness the radiating wonder of God’s graciousness Still encapsulated in his boundless love.

When his omnipotent wings of change lift you To heights you thought you’d never know Just remember that the creator
Has favored and rewarded you
With gifts he continues to gracefully bestow.

They are not to be taken lightly
Nor to be consumed with arrogance and greed They are to be used to spread love universally In a time of endless human need.

His gifts are not the tangible things Like presents under a Christmas tree, But rather gifts of talent, time and attitude Helping another set their spirits free.

Paul spoke of these diverse gifts
To listeners a very long time ago.
He shared his blessed insights and knowledge Of the powerful gift God can set aglow.

Yes the clouds of hopelessness and despair are below me Having ascended to a place of clarity of thought Life’s lessons have taught me to love unconditionally Having been molded by what the Creator wrought

His sunlight frames the ultimate target
When personal fog and intolerant clouds finally drift away It is a glorious moment to behold his majesty
When we completely understand his way.

So cherish your unique gift Remain humbled by his caring way And to the challenge gallantly rise, You see freedom is calling And we cannot continue to delay.

Effenus Henderson

December 30, 2011

My Friends we are on the threshold of greatness. We need committed and diverse leaders who will stand. We need people willing to lead.

Yet, the winds of change beckon us to pause and reflect on the past and prepare a plan for the future.

Leaders have accomplished great things in our past. Yet the enemy to that greatness awakens. This enemy is subduing our commitment, mind and spirit; and yes, our results. It has even questioned the need for diversity in future plans.

We must regroup!

We must chart a course that will safely move us forward in the future. It starts with shedding the weight that slows us. It’s the weight of the heavy armor once needed when we were not adequately prepared. It’s the snails pace of our deliberate and collaborative decision-making process when we didn’t have to move fast. It’s the ornateness of our processes when the beauty of adornment was the key driver. It is the price of the arrogance we display when we shackle leadership with sameness instead of diversity.

The enemy is the weight of the many trappings we have enjoyed in the past.

The new day requires less armor and less baggage. It requires the nimbleness and agility of the well honed athletic which cannot be bound or constrained by policy, process or disengaged leadership. This nimbleness and agility requires a new yoke of simplicity that shuns and out-maneuvers detail and complexity.

In the distance they come. They come to us for ideas and services. They are the markets and customers we serve. They come with renewed interest. They come with the ability to choose whether you and I will serve them. Or, whether they will go elsewhere. How will we serve this diverse market?

Can we deliver what they want? Neither heavy-laden process nor a product or service with an outer appearance ringing shallow will matter. They want you to simply touch their soul. In doing so you help them see the value that, together, we create.

My friends they are willing to pay and to pay dearly for that value. Yet they are seeking more than what has been there in the past. We cannot rest on our laurels.

Change is upon us my friends. Let us recognize and embrace it. If we don’t, we will pay dearly.

We are on the threshold of greatness saddled between the slippery rocks of demise.

My friend will you stand? What is your vision as you gaze in the customer’s eyes?

Initiative to link governments, NGO’s and… by qatar4unaoc