Team MFW

All my life I have been an avid sports fan. I watch many different sports and have competed in several of them throughout my life. There is something about being a part of a team that has always appealed to me. There were lessons I learned in sports that have guided me through my life—lessons I probably could have learned in many different places, but for me, I learned them much quicker through sports and being on a team. Things like working together as a unit, putting your body on the line for the person next to you, sacrificing so much to reach a common goal, and learning how to get up when I got knocked down.

Here at My Father’s World, I am part of a team—a team that works together to reach goals and meet the demands of our business. But why we do it is far different than any sport I ever played. Here, we do it for God and His kingdom. This team never ceases to amaze me with what we accomplish.

I have been with the company for 14 years now, and I’ve seen several people come and go. The common thread among all of those people was a heart to serve God—serving Him by working every day to spread His Word through our curriculum. When you walk through our buildings, many times you will hear laughter as people go about their daily duties. Other times, especially during busy season, you will hear only the sound of barcode scanners and tape guns as the team pushes themselves to meet the orders of the day.

Every year I get the feeling that something is off the tracks or not going in the direction I want it to. Software glitches, machine failures, or any number of things happen and leave us behind schedule, needing to make up the gap. Then, out of nowhere, someone steps up and fills the void. Many times, without being directed to, they simply see a need and jump into action.

“A team is only as strong as its weakest link” is a line that has been uttered often, and I don’t necessarily agree with that—mainly because I don’t like the word “weak.” I would rather say that a team is made up of individuals who all have different gifts. Here on our team, those gifts come out every day, but especially during heavy order times. You see people find another gear, discover ways to use their gifts, and sacrifice not just for their teammates, but also for the Kingdom. We are all different, as God intended, but when you are part of a team and see the way those differences mesh together to create a unit that functions successfully day in and day out, you know it is by God’s design.

I once saw a show where a gentleman was speaking to a team of interns, and he said this line: “Being part of a team makes our losses less bitter and our victories all the sweeter.” I don’t think there is another way to describe the feeling I get every day that I’m a part of this team.