Standing Out

I recently bought a package of English muffins at the store that went bad really quickly. Two days after the "sell by" date they had mold on them. Usually, I would just toss them and go buy some more. But for some reason, this time, I really wanted to follow up and let the company know what happened.

I went to the website that was printed on the package and very politely registered my complaint. I told them I would like to continue to use their product if I could count on it being fresh because the price was better than the other brands at my store. I thought maybe they would send me a coupon or something and then I promptly forgot about it.

The very next day when I came home for lunch, there was a message on my answering machine from this company saying that he would like to deliver some fresh English muffins to my house, but since I was not home he would try again on Monday. Whoa. Never would have expected that. And even if we are not able to make a connection (I doubt they will be able to catch me at home), the fact that they called and were willing to do this means that I'll try their product again. Any company that would go through that much trouble for one complaint really stands out in a market where companies bow to the almighty dollar without much concern for the customer.

This makes me think of a company that I heard about recently working in the country of Laos. Laos is closed to missionaries, but there is a Christian development organization working there that is thriving. The government knows that it is a Christian organization, but allows them into the country because of the agricultural and economic development that they are doing there. I recently spoke to a couple that works there and they said that in a country where bribes and corruption run rampant, their company, which is run by Christian principles, really stands out. They are thriving in a place where it was previously thought that you could not do business without "greasing the wheels". Their reputation is growing rapidly and countries from all over the world are asking them to come start a new work there. They are a light because they choose not to take the easy way out, but to stand on their principles and deliver a high-quality service.

That makes me wonder - what am I doing here in my little part of the world that stands out? Do I look like everyone else or is there something different about me? I'm afraid that a lot of the time, I'm too self-involved to really be available to others and see opportunities that are staring me in the face.

Lord, help me to be a light in a dark world today.

1-17
Update: Yesterday, JJ was actually home when a the delivery man for Cobblestone Mill called and wanted to drop off some fresh English muffins. Not only did he replace the yucky muffins, he also gave us 2 loaves of bread to boot! Not bad, not bad at all.