A Mind Like Christ
Illustration
Stories
John held open the main door to the office building for James. James shook his head and stopped in front of the other teenager.
“Listen -- I know you’re never had an interview for a real job before but you need to have the right attitude in you for the business world.”
“The right attitude? I held the door for you.” John frowned. “That’s just being polite.”
James scowled. “That’s your problem right there. The world is dog eat dog, so you have to look out for number one. Don’t be polite, be ruthless.”
“I thought this interview was for a summer position. It’s not like we’re applying for something we’re going to have to be doing the rest of our lives.”
“Get your head focused on your goal and nothing else and it doesn’t matter if it’s a summer job or your dream job. You get it only because the other people who apply don’t get it.”
“I guess.” John shrugged. “Honestly I don’t expect to get the job anyway, you have loads more experience.”
James beamed. “I do, but even being interviewed will be good experience for you.”
The two came around the corner to see a man dressed in coveralls struggling to get the insert out of the garbage can. James ignored the man and kept going to the elevator. John stopped and examined the contraption.
“I’m not sure but what would happen if you pressed here and here?” he pointed at some marks on the container.
“Huh. I never noticed those.” The man pressed where John had indicated, and the container snapped out. A couple of candy wrappers fell out and John knelt to get them.
“Thanks,” the man dumped the garbage into the cart he was pushing. “I’m just filling in for the fellow that usually does this job. I should have paid more attention his instructions.”
“No problem, happy to help.”
The man looked at John. “You here about the summer position?”
“Yeah. How did you know?”
“I know everyone who works in this building and figured that’s why you must be here.” The man smiled. “You got some chocolate on you from the candy wrapper so I think you might want to use the washroom over there to clean up before your interview.”
John looked at his stained hands. “Yeah, I better. I best hurry or I’ll be late.”
“Thanks again and best of luck.”
The man smiled at him and pushed his cart down the corridor. John washed up and rushed to the elevator. The door to the interview room was closed so John sat in an empty chair in the hallway. He heard James in the other room explaining his job experience and his attitude towards work. A few minutes later the door opened.
“Thanks, James. Your resume is impressive, and we’ll be in touch.” the woman doing the interview turned to John as her phone chimed. “I’ll just be a moment.”
“Thanks,” John said.
James rolled his eyes as he passed John. “You need to look out for number one, John, or you’ll get nowhere in life.”
“I know, I know.” John looked at the closed door. “Sounds like things went well for you.”
James grinned. “In the bag. Sorry you had to waste the trip downtown. I’ll wait for you in the coffee shop next door.”
The door opened and the woman called John in. He sat down behind the desk and slid his rather thin resume across the table. The woman looked it over and then put it down.
“You were a bit late for the interview, John.” The woman looked at the clock on the wall. “Any reason for that?”
“Yes, sorry about that. I was helping the janitor downstairs. I didn’t think it would make me late.”
John sighed and started to stand up. “Thanks for the chance to interview because I’m pretty sure it isn’t me you’re going to hire.”
The woman gestured for him to sit. “Why do you think that?”
“I don’t have as much working experience as James, my marks aren’t as good, and I was late for this interview which says I’m not punctual.”
The woman looked at her phone. “Leo, he’s the fellow at the main desk, says you arrived at the same time as your friend I just interviewed. I know you stopped to help because Tim just texted to say you would probably be a few minutes late. So let me ask you again. Are you going to make a habit of stopping to help someone?”
John thought about James’ advice for a moment and knew what his friend would say. John took a deep breath. “Probably.”
“You don’t have a lot of experience but honestly for this position we’re going to train you anyway.” The woman smiled. “Tim said it was my choice, but you made an impression on him and frankly he’s an excellent judge of character. Would you like the summer position?”
“I would.” John shook her hand. “Thanks.”
“You’re very welcome. Tim and I are looking forward to working with you.”
John paused at the door. “I’m working with the janitor?”
The woman laughed. “Ken, our usual building janitor, went home sick so Tim was emptying the trash before his afternoon appointments.”
“So, what does Tim do here?”
“Tim owns the company,” the woman said. “His text to me said that any teenager who understands the attitude of a servanthood is someone he would like to work with us.”
*****************************************
StoryShare, April 10, 2022, issue.
Copyright 2022 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
“Listen -- I know you’re never had an interview for a real job before but you need to have the right attitude in you for the business world.”
“The right attitude? I held the door for you.” John frowned. “That’s just being polite.”
James scowled. “That’s your problem right there. The world is dog eat dog, so you have to look out for number one. Don’t be polite, be ruthless.”
“I thought this interview was for a summer position. It’s not like we’re applying for something we’re going to have to be doing the rest of our lives.”
“Get your head focused on your goal and nothing else and it doesn’t matter if it’s a summer job or your dream job. You get it only because the other people who apply don’t get it.”
“I guess.” John shrugged. “Honestly I don’t expect to get the job anyway, you have loads more experience.”
James beamed. “I do, but even being interviewed will be good experience for you.”
The two came around the corner to see a man dressed in coveralls struggling to get the insert out of the garbage can. James ignored the man and kept going to the elevator. John stopped and examined the contraption.
“I’m not sure but what would happen if you pressed here and here?” he pointed at some marks on the container.
“Huh. I never noticed those.” The man pressed where John had indicated, and the container snapped out. A couple of candy wrappers fell out and John knelt to get them.
“Thanks,” the man dumped the garbage into the cart he was pushing. “I’m just filling in for the fellow that usually does this job. I should have paid more attention his instructions.”
“No problem, happy to help.”
The man looked at John. “You here about the summer position?”
“Yeah. How did you know?”
“I know everyone who works in this building and figured that’s why you must be here.” The man smiled. “You got some chocolate on you from the candy wrapper so I think you might want to use the washroom over there to clean up before your interview.”
John looked at his stained hands. “Yeah, I better. I best hurry or I’ll be late.”
“Thanks again and best of luck.”
The man smiled at him and pushed his cart down the corridor. John washed up and rushed to the elevator. The door to the interview room was closed so John sat in an empty chair in the hallway. He heard James in the other room explaining his job experience and his attitude towards work. A few minutes later the door opened.
“Thanks, James. Your resume is impressive, and we’ll be in touch.” the woman doing the interview turned to John as her phone chimed. “I’ll just be a moment.”
“Thanks,” John said.
James rolled his eyes as he passed John. “You need to look out for number one, John, or you’ll get nowhere in life.”
“I know, I know.” John looked at the closed door. “Sounds like things went well for you.”
James grinned. “In the bag. Sorry you had to waste the trip downtown. I’ll wait for you in the coffee shop next door.”
The door opened and the woman called John in. He sat down behind the desk and slid his rather thin resume across the table. The woman looked it over and then put it down.
“You were a bit late for the interview, John.” The woman looked at the clock on the wall. “Any reason for that?”
“Yes, sorry about that. I was helping the janitor downstairs. I didn’t think it would make me late.”
John sighed and started to stand up. “Thanks for the chance to interview because I’m pretty sure it isn’t me you’re going to hire.”
The woman gestured for him to sit. “Why do you think that?”
“I don’t have as much working experience as James, my marks aren’t as good, and I was late for this interview which says I’m not punctual.”
The woman looked at her phone. “Leo, he’s the fellow at the main desk, says you arrived at the same time as your friend I just interviewed. I know you stopped to help because Tim just texted to say you would probably be a few minutes late. So let me ask you again. Are you going to make a habit of stopping to help someone?”
John thought about James’ advice for a moment and knew what his friend would say. John took a deep breath. “Probably.”
“You don’t have a lot of experience but honestly for this position we’re going to train you anyway.” The woman smiled. “Tim said it was my choice, but you made an impression on him and frankly he’s an excellent judge of character. Would you like the summer position?”
“I would.” John shook her hand. “Thanks.”
“You’re very welcome. Tim and I are looking forward to working with you.”
John paused at the door. “I’m working with the janitor?”
The woman laughed. “Ken, our usual building janitor, went home sick so Tim was emptying the trash before his afternoon appointments.”
“So, what does Tim do here?”
“Tim owns the company,” the woman said. “His text to me said that any teenager who understands the attitude of a servanthood is someone he would like to work with us.”
*****************************************
StoryShare, April 10, 2022, issue.
Copyright 2022 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
