I grew up in rural Oklahoma. My parents would often load up our family of eight in the station wagon to travel somewhere to experience something, for us to be “well rounded”. I remember attending a concert by the Vienna Boys Choir, another by Up with People, and hearing exceptional pianists and string quartets. We attended the circus, a variety of sporting events, the theatre, and visited museums. An exchange student from Denmark lived with our family one year and we learned about European culture. Being “well rounded” meant that we were exposed to a variety of activities, and one of the most exciting was Stock Car Races. My brothers loved to see car crashes, and they based the success of the evening on the number of crashes that occurred. The thing that fascinated me was watching the pit crews work on vehicles in between races or laps. Each crew had a clear goal-to keep their car on the track and win the race! While I knew little about cars, I could appreciate the expertise, organization, and speed of the crew members. When a driver would wheel into the pit area and screech to a stop, the crew was like a swarm of bees descending on the vehicle. Some would work on tires, others would work under the hood, another might visit with the driver before sending him back to the track.
What great lessons we can learn from a Pit Crew! Each member had to be competent and committed to the goal. They had to collaborate…not a single person worked alone. They had high standards and had to be thorough; a missing or loose part on the car might send it into a crash, delighting my brothers, but making it impossible to win the race! They had to communicate with one another and the driver. Each crew member had to know what to do and how to do it quickly! Think about it-if the driver had been the lone participant, he’d never have won a race; it was only with the help of others that he could be successful!
Isn’t this true about life? We work most efficiently when we work with others. It’s shared in Ecclesiastes 4:9-“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.” When our standards are high, whatever we do always turns out better, and when we communicate with others, we work more efficiently.
Look at your hand; see those spaces in-between your fingers? Another hand fits perfectly inside them, and that’s because God created us to work alongside others. Want to be blessed? Form a pit crew and do something for someone else today.
Susan Easttom, Director of Children’s Ministries
