Jerry slumped over his desk in the corner of the small office, just a few feet from the coffee counter where he spent most of his time making customers happy. The numbers didn’t add up. He wasn’t turning enough of a profit to keep his coffee shop a viable business. His product was good, his location was ideal, but he just wasn’t pulling in enough people. 

As he pondered his situation, he took stock of his own strengths and weakness. He was a good businessman, in that he was frugal, prompt and diligent. He was friendly and seemed to make a great impression on those he served. He was honest and thorough, and he wasn’t afraid of hard work. But evidently that was not enough.

Then he remembered Jade. In fact, he wondered why he had not considered him sooner; Jade was a guy who could probably help. Jerry was a franchise owner. The franchise had provided training at their headquarters six months earlier when he had begun this venture. While at headquarters, Jade, a marketing expert had introduced himself, and told them he was available to help them at any time. Jerry rifled through his drawer until he located the business card the expert had handed him. He breathed a sigh of relief and dialed the number.

One month later Jerry had more business than he could handle. He marveled at how one, well-placed call could make such a difference. The marketing expert had given him tips and resources he didn’t realize existed. Then there were the links to pep talks and testimonials that gave him courage to press on. It made him grateful that someone who was gifted in marketing was part of the franchise team, and  that he was willing to share his expertise so that Jerry’s business could prosper. Eventually, the whole franchise would benefit from Jade’s shared advice.

Have you ever considered that you might have some gifts and abilities that, when shared, could make a huge difference in someone else’s life? St. Paul, writing to some first century Christians put it this way:

If you preach, just preach God’s Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don’t take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don’t get bossy; if you’re put in charge, don’t manipulate; if you’re called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don’t let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face. Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. (Romans 12:8-10 MSG)