Ernest Smith

Yesterday I had the privilege of serving the staff of Seacoast Church, Long Point campus.  For four hours, I served  alongside the Seacoast All-Access interns by washing and cleaning the inside of the cars of staff members.  This was just a simple way that we could tell the staff “thank you” for all you do for the church and the Kingdom of God.

A part of my job was to pick up each person’s car from the offices and drive it over to the church to be cleaned.  As I  stepped inside many of our staffs’ cars, I learned a few things that I thought I would share here.

1.       Our Staff Listens to an Eclectic Mix of Music

As I turned the key to start each car, I had no clue what I was going to hear coming through the speakers.  I realized that some listen to contemporary Christian music, which didn’t really surprise me.  Others chose country as their choice of poison…and sometimes it can truly be poison.  Others were listening to music that I had not heard since I was 10 years old.  Still others were listening to music that I couldn’t quite distinguish or name the genre.  It was quite a selection and I don’t think even Casey Kasem could have handled the variety.

2.       Our Staff Are More Concerned About Ministry Than Their Cars

This truth was probably the most noticeable to all of us.  One of the reasons we picked washing the staffs’ cars as a way to serve them is because I understand how easy it is to allow one’s car to get dirty so fast and just not “find time” to clean it.  Ministry takes a lot out of you.  There are always demands that need to be taken care of and the last thing that most of us have time to do is to clean our cars.  That truth was definitely evident.

Throughout the afternoon, we had a running tally of whose car was the worst, meaning dirtiest.  At the end of the day there were only two real front runners.  I won’t name any names, but let’s just say, one works in our Family Ministry as a leader over our experience team.  The other person must go to Starbucks every day or brews coffee from his backseat.  He drives a Lexus and is in charge of our Life Groups team.  Can you guess who they are?

3.       Our Staff Actually Trusts My Driving Skills

I don’t know if it is because we didn’t give them a second option, or because they were so desperate to get their cars  cleaned or because they just didn’t know my past, but each staff member actually trusted me to drive their car safely.  Don’t be deceived, this is a miracle.  I have totaled 3 cars, hit a mailbox, a tree, a parked car, received countless violations and ran into a Dollar Tree store.  For anyone to trust me with their car is a miracle, much less 25+ staff members.  Thank you for your trust Seacoast staff, I am honored and appalled.

4.       Our Staff is the Best Staff in the World

I was reminded today of how great of a place I get to work.  I served alongside 20+ interns who range from 19 years old to 56 years old for four hours.  All they wanted to do was to tell others that they cared for them by serving them.  I experienced the gratitude of so many staff members who could not believe we were taking 20 minutes out of our day to clean their car.  Gratefulness is the best word to describe their heart and reactions.

Today marked another day in the last 14 years where I saw how truly blessed I am.  I am blessed to work at Seacoast Church.  I am blessed to get paid to do what I do.  I am blessed to see so many interns being built up.  I am blessed to call the staff at Seacoast church my friends.  I am blessed.