Blue Elevator Blog

Dirty Little Secret

I was visiting with my friend Jack Jackman the other day.  Jack and I have known each other for many years.  And, I usually see him at one of the many Blue Elevator™ satellite offices (aka, Starbucks).

I always enjoy catching up with him on the various things going on at our local churches, the community, and businesses.

Anyway, I don’t know how we happened upon it, but one day I felt compelled to tell him my dirty little secret.

Now, lest you get your knickers in a twist, let me say outright that it’s G-rated.  I think I had commented to Jack that this was on the list of “articles to write.”  So, now it’s out.  And I want to thank Jack for the impetus to commit this to black and white.

And now, I want to share this dirty little secret with you.  Or, for that matter, it could be a clean little secret.

Out And About

We spend a lot of our days in transition from one place to another.  And, based upon some two score and ten years ago or so, I will tell you my read of things.

I have spent a lot of time on road trips.  If you have, as well, maybe you know about the way of things.  Today, most gas stations have a proverbial mini-mart attached to them.

But back in the day, gas stations were gas stations.  People stopped to fill up their cars and that was about it.  Some stations might have had some Three Musketeers candy bars for sale, or maybe some Juicy Fruit gum at the cash register.  But that was about it.

And, if you were filling up your car’s gas tank, you would most definitely empty yours.  So, on long road trips, most stops at a service station meant a stop at the restroom.  And this brings us to the point of this article.

Restrooms And Bathrooms

Those gas station “restrooms” were anything but.  And, they didn’t have baths in them.  So, I don’t know what you would call them.  But, it was get in and get out as quickly as possible.  And, you would do your best to avoid touching anything.

You would think gas stations were designed to be dirty.  But, chances are, the gas station attendants and their owners probably had as much disdain for them as their patrons.  As a result, they were probably seldom cleaned.  And, any veteran road-tripper knows, the last thing you want to do is stop when you’re putting miles behind you.  So, my guess is the purveyors of those establishments didn’t think the restroom condition would have any impact on their business: clean or dirty.

The Real Dirty Little Secret

But, #RestroomsMatter.  And, if we may, we’ll reveal a dirty little secret.

You can tell a lot about a business by the condition of their bathrooms.  Who likes cleaning toilets and sinks?   No one.  And that’s the dirty little secret.  Running a successful organization involves any number of various duties and tasks – hundreds or more.  Things you like to do, and things you don’t like to do.  But, it all needs to be done.

Think of your day.  There are things you need to do.  And, you will likely have to deal with things you hadn’t even planned.  Plus, if you’re tired and overworked, and you’re running out of daylight (like most of us), you might have to leave some things undone.  And, probably for a lot of organizations, the restroom might be one of those things that gets put off.

Being Faithful In The Little Things

Here is a trustworthy saying:

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” – Luke 16:10

And so, it’s my belief that you can tell a lot about ANY organization by the way they keep the restroom(s).  It could be your favorite restaurant, your corner Starbucks, or your doctor’s office.

So, if you’re wondering if you’re in good hands, just check the restroom.  And, if it’s clean, it tells you something: They mind the details.  And, God willing, it’s a good sign they might be faithful in the little things (and the big things).

Are you and your organization faithful in the little things?

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