“80% of success is showing up” ~ Woody Allen
I’ve been thinking about Woody’s well-known observation quite
often lately as my official retirement from Wheat Ridge Ministries grows closer
and as I look back on 41 years of service in church-related ministries. I’m
better at looking ahead than I am at looking in the rear-view mirror, but one
of the things I’ve been trying hard to consider is what I’ve learned over these
many years. In this regard, I agree with Woody – showing up is important!
One might interpret his observation as a snide commentary
about the value of work – like a quip that might appear in a Dilbert comic
strip. While that might be true, I’d like to believe it is not. It seems to me
that “showing up” in life is an admirable and extremely important activity. I
agree with some of the definitions that members of our Wheat Ridge staff
provided the other day when I asked them what they think “showing up”
means: being actively present, paying attention, coming prepared to do one’s
best, listening carefully, giving full attention, helping others, and putting
full effort into the task at hand.
During my life, I’ve been incredibly blessed by people who
have taught me the importance and value of showing up. My parents showed up
daily to raise four children – Dad working hard every day at his small business
to provide for the family and Mom diligently managing the home front. In spite
of my testing her patience regularly, Deb has shown up for the past 40 years of
our life together, providing love and care for me and our daughters, while at
the same time showing up for her very successful career as a gifted teacher and
artist. I’ve been part of exemplary teams of colleagues in the places I’ve been
called to serve, who have taught me how to show up each day working together in
pursuit of a mission. And then there are
many friends who have shown up throughout my life to lift my spirits and
provide encouragement. I’m guessing your list of people who have shown up for
you during your lifetime might look pretty similar.
Whatever success any of us have is the result of other
people showing up diligently and regularly to impact our life. There is no such
thing as self-made success. Likewise, the measure of any success that each of
us has in life is ultimately not the accumulation of wealth or the growth of
the organizations we serve, but the impact we’ve had in the lives of others.
I’ve always appreciated the application of “showing up” that Robert Greenleaf
used as he defined servant leadership: Do those served grow as persons? Do
they, while being served, become
healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become
servants?
While the phrase “showing up” doesn’t appear in the Bible,
the good news for all of us is that the entirety of Scripture tells the story
of God showing up in our lives. As the writer of Psalm 100 reminds us, the Lord is good, God’s faithfulness
continues through all generations. During the aforementioned staff
conversation about showing up, Anya Knodt, our brilliant assistant director of
programs, observed that it’s not like God chooses to show up one place today
for one person and in another place tomorrow for another person. God doesn’t
need to show up, because He is already there! As we’re reminded in another
Psalm (36), God is not only here, there and everywhere, but God’s love endures forever! By the power
of God’s Spirit, we are able to respond to this enduring and faithful love by
showing up each day for the sake of others.
While Woody might give you 80% odds of being successful
because you showed up, by God’s grace, we can be confident that there is a 100%
chance that truly showing up at home, at school, at work, and in our
neighborhoods and communities makes a difference in someone else’s life. So, thanks
for showing up today, wherever you may be!
