I notice lately that I am more sensitive to things that are changing a little from where they used to be. It’s just a small adjustment in service levels most of the time, but it’s undeniably there. For example, when I take my car into the dealer for service, it used to be customary for them to wash the car and return it in pristine condition. Not so much these days. In fact, I have now asked them to not wash my car because they always seemed to damage something when it went through the automated wash line.
When we are at the grocery store, we now, more times than not, have to scan our own groceries and pack our own bags. It never used to be that way. And there are times that I even have a store employee wonder if I put something in a bag that somehow missed the scanner. And how many shoppers don’t care enough to return their cart to the store, opting instead to leave it in the middle of the parking lot?
The past week we have been out of town and we noticed the same thing at our beloved Greenbrier. We always go down to breakfast, our favorite place anywhere in the world, and I was stunned by the number of people who ignored the dress code and wore shorts or jeans, talked on their phones – reducing the experience for the rest of us.
In fact, I also noticed that our napkins weren’t pressed – that represents a change from the last time we were there. One of the small jelly jars had been partially used by the last folks at our table and as happens almost everywhere, prices continue to skyrocket. Those employees who have been there for years have noticed the general decline in service and their frustration to maintain the status quo in the face of changing clientele.
That’s not to say that everything is that way… we have certain friends (who we have known for thirty years) who still work at the resort and, quite frankly, it is the staff of the Greenbrier that keeps us coming back. It’s worth it for the relationships as much as the history and reputation of the resort.
There are other little signs all around us as well. An in house movie theatre that used to serve popcorn, but doesn’t do that anymore. Or people who take private tours but fail to tip the docent who spends hours escorting and teaching their guests. It’s the little things that are all around us. These aren’t huge changes but as happens most of the time, these things start small and continue to degrade over a period of time. Pretty soon, the service levels are far below what they used to be in so many instances these days.
Now it could be argued that the younger generations really don’t care about the kinds of service levels that we older Americans expect and have become used to. But I don’t buy that. I think it goes more to personal standards and how we act when no one else is around. That’s the nature of character. What can we get away with?
On our way home on Friday, I ran into a convenience store to get my fuel receipt and purchase a soft drink. There were a number of people in line and two clerks behind the counter. Right in front of us, one clerk closed her station and apparently went on break. I was disgusted – I didn’t bother with the receipt and actually returned the soft drink to the cooler. Enough said.
As I reflect on the events of the last several weeks, in various areas of the country, it seems to me that we should each examine ourselves and make sure that we are maintaining our personal standards. The moment that we think people won’t notice if we slack off a little bit, we start down a slippery slope. Who knows where that will end! In other words, we need to maintain ourselves and keep the personal discipline that most of us have developed throughout the years.
Maybe we slack off a little on our devotions, or our prayer life, exercise, or even making the bed… The point is that it is difficult to keep up our standards, especially as we age. That doesn’t mean that we will always be able to do the things that we used to do in our earlier years. But we must be conscious of the changes that we make; and be honest with ourselves about the reason we changed our behavior. Hopefully, lazy isn’t the reason we choose.
Our verse for tonight is from the small book of Titus. Titus admonishes us, in Titus 1:7-9, “Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.”
My encouragement this evening is that we all wrestle with standards and, at times, personal discipline. God wants us to maintain what is right and to adhere to the highest personal standards that we are capable of. My prayer is that we will strive for perfection, even though we know that it is impossible this side of heaven. We must remain humble and work toward the best possible version of ourselves that we can be. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…