Thinking a bit more upon my previous blog, I’d like to add a few points that I feel are important.
For those who know me in Jersey, I’m a nanny. That’s not all I am though. Back in Iowa, I lived an entirely different life, with leadership jobs in promotions, sales, and management. Different jobs, different lives, loved all, hated all.
In my first sales job, I worked for a big-box furniture store, specializing in selling sofas, recliners, and the like. The store would warehouse much of their merchandise on-site, and kept prices low by offering merchandise that was made of lesser quality materials. Customers were attracted to this product only because of price and availability. To create more buzz about the store, we used cheap tactics of short-term sales, tents, balloons… anything to draw attention to ourselves.
My second sales job was different. It was in a family-owned furniture shop, that specialized in creating pieces specially suited to the customer’s individual needs. The quality of merchandise was superior, and thusly, more pricey. Each piece of furniture was created, and sometimes specially designed, for each individual customer. There were no sales needed… The furniture was investment material… something that would outlast the lives of the people who purchased it.
Two different furniture stores, two different strategies. In the first store, it was all “lights, cameras, action” and cheap thrills. The second store centered itself about ensuring the customer received the best. It was almost comical, though. The first store saw droves and droves of new customers each weekend (when the sales would start) but had virtually NO repeat customers. The second store had fewer customers, but those who were, were customers for life, that referred friends and family to shop there as well.
As I’ve said before, I’m not formally educated in anything. All of my knowledge of the world comes from a lifetime of different experiences, as well as an intuitiveness that I come upon naturally. But I wonder… does my personal parable have anything to do with today’s churches?
**As an interesting addition, I’d like to share the comments I’ve received regarding this post, from sharing it on my facebook page. I’m rather hoping that certain people take these words to heart. P.S. I love my friends and family!**
I’m pretty sure that’s my grandfather, but seeing as how I’ve not laid eyes on the man since I was about a sophomore in HIGH SCHOOL, I couldn’t tell you for sure. And, could the picture have been more awkward? Seriously, is he taking a nap, or what? 
