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There is an ancient legend about the ascension of Jesus into
heaven. According to the legend, when Jesus reached heaven, his body
still showed the wounds of his crucifixion.
His hands and feet still bore the prints from the nails. His side
bore the mark from the spear. His back bore the stripes from the whip,
and his head bore the wounds from the thorns.
When the people in heaven saw these marks, they were astounded
to see how much he had suffered. Then the angel Gabriel rose up and
said to Jesus;
“Lord, how greatly you suffered on earth! Do all the people on
earth know and appreciate how much you went through for them and
how much you love them?”
Jesus replied; “Oh, no! Only a handful of people in Palestine know
that, the rest haven’t even heard of me.” They don’t know who I am.
They don’t know how much I suffered, and how much I love them.”
Gabriel was shocked to hear this. Then he said to Jesus:
“How will the rest of the people on earth ever learn about your
suffering and your love?” Jesus said; “Just before I left, I told Peter,
James, and John, and a few of their friends to tell the rest of the world
for me. They will tell as many people as they can. Those people in turn,
will tell other people. In that way, the whole world will eventually learn
about my love for them.”
Gabriel looked even more confused now. He knew how fickle
people are. He knew how forgetful they are. He knew how prone to
doubt they are. So he turned to Jesus and said:
“But Lord, what if Peter, James and John grow tired and
frustrated? What if they forget about you? What if they begin to have
doubts about you? Didn’t you take these things into account? Don’t you
have a back-up plan just in case?”
Jesus answered: “I did take all these things into account, but I
decided against a back-up plan. This is the only plan I have. I’m
counting on Peter, James, and John not to let me down.”
Many centuries later, Jesus still has no other plan. He counted on
Peter, James and John and they didn’t let him down. He counted on the
people they told, and they didn’t let him down. And now Jesus counts
on us.
In his book “The Song of the Bird”, Anthony de Mello tells this
story. He puts it in the first person to give it added impact. He says:
On the street I saw a small girl cold and shivering in a dress,
with little hope for a decent meal. I became angry and said to
God, ‘Why did you permit this?’
For a while God said nothing. That night he replied quite
suddenly, “I certainly did something about it. I made you, I made
you!”
Let’s close with a prayer:
Lord Jesus, on this feast of your ascension into heaven,
give us new eyes to see your face
in the faces of those who are in need.
Give us new ears to hear your voice
in the voices of those who cry out in pain.
Give us new tongue to tell your story
to those who have never heard it.
Give us new hearts to share your love
with those who have not yet experienced it.
And Lord thank you for counting on us.
We will try our best!

(This is a true story as told by Barbara Glanz, CSP.)
A few years ago, I was hired by a large supermarket chain to lead a
customer service program to build customer loyalty.
During my speech I said, “Every one of you can make a difference
and create memories for our customers that will motivate them to come
back. HOW?
Put your personal signature on the job. Think about something you
can do for your customer to make them feel special; memories that will
make them come back.
About a month after I had spoken, I received a call from a 19 year
old bagger named Johnny. He proudly informed me he was a Down
Syndrome individual and told me his story.
“I liked what you talked about”, he said, “but at first I didn’t think
I could do anything special for our customers. After all, I’m just a
bagger”. “Then I had an idea. Every night after work, I’d come home and
find a Thought For The Day.” If I can’t find a saying I like”, he added,
“I just think one up!”
When Johnny had a good Thought For The Day, his dad helped
him set it up on the computer and print multiple copies. Johnny cut out
each quote and signed his name on the back. Then he’d bring them to
work the next day.
“When I finish bagging someone’s groceries, I put my Thought
For The Day in their bag and say: “Thanks for shopping with us.”
It touched me to think that this young man, with a job most people
would say is not important, had made it important by creating precious
memories for all his customers.
A month later, the store manager called me. “You won’t believe
what happened. When I was making my rounds today, I found Johnny’s
checkout line was three times longer than anyone else’s! It went all the
way down the frozen food aisle. So I quickly announced, ‘We need more cashiers; get more lanes open!’, as I tried to get people to change
lanes. But no one would move. They said, “No, its okay, we want to be in Johnny’s lane. We want
his Thought For The Day”.
The store manager continued, “It was a joy to watch Johnny
delight the customers”. I got a lump in my throat when one woman said,
“I used to shop at your store once a week, but now I come in every time
I go by, because I want to get Johnny’s Thought For The Day.”
A few months later, the manager called me again. “Johnny has
transformed our store. Now when the floral department has a broken
flower or unused corsage, they find an elderly woman or a little girl and
pin it on them. Everyone’s having fun creating memories. Our
customers are talking about us; they’re coming back, and bringing their
friends.”
A wonderful spirit of service spread throughout the entire store…
and all because Johnny chose to make a difference!
Johnny’s idea wasn’t nearly as innovative as it was loving. It came
from his heart, it was real. That’s what touched his customers, his peers…and those who read his story.
Great service comes from the heart…Will you be a Johnny today?