Chuck and Discipleship
Crop circles are Chuck Norris’ way of telling the world that sometimes corn needs to lie down.
I’m not even sure how I got a job in the lumber department. I’m a computer guy, the only thing I had built was a bird house(and my uncle provided most of the work there). But they brought me on anyway, gave me my vest and introduced me to Chuck. I was going to be working beside him to learn the ropes. Things like: what pressure treated lumber is and when to use it, how to mix and pour concrete, and how to figure how many squares of shingles were required for a roofing job(and what a square of shingles is). The first few weeks I’m sure were a disaster.
I had no clue what I was doing. Most of the time, if I was alone I felt like I was drowning. Questions about the proper nails to use(16 pennywhat?) and how to build a deck left me feeling inadequate and stupid. But Chuck was right there next to me. If there were things I didn’t know how to do, he would step in and teach me as he helped the customer. And in the unsteady moments when I was still learning he would provide the reassurance to keep me going. He would go over the interactions I had to show me where I had gone wrong, or to praise the things I did well. If I couldn’t answer a question, he would step in and answer it. Afterward he would tell me the reasoning behind the answer so I was learning more than just the right answer. Chuck had a cool temperament and gave me the room to learn and grow in my job. Chuck genuinely cared about my training. To him it was more than just a series of motions to go through, it was a mindset a way of life.
Looking back over the experience, its amazing how big the impact was that Chuck had on me. He was a great trainer and an amazing person. When I was working with Chuck I felt like I had a friend on my side, someone who had my back. And I knew that if I needed anything, or if I got into trouble he would be there. He naturally gravitated to leadership wisdom that some only learn through years of training. I’m not even sure if he had a college degree, but it didn’t matter. Chuck’s training prepared me for the work ahead of me, in the home improvement store and in life.
Chuck wasn’t just training me he was discipling me. When I disciple someone I want it to be like that.