"Anything worth doing is worth doing well.”
Philip Stanhope is credited with first writing a form of this quote to his son in 1746. I heard it many years back, likely from my parents, and I found myself repeating it to our adult son just the other day. He is studying to write his third-year test for an apprenticeship program at a polytechnic school close to home.
Upon hearing me say this, he smirked and jokingly rolled his eyes at me, followed with, “I know, Mom.”
I guess I’ve said this a time or two to him in the past, but my memory is a little foggy these days. Perhaps I needed to hear it spoken aloud, not for him, but for me.
Anything worth doing is worth doing well.
We’ve been working hard at launching the Council Fire podcast, working with a team to record the narration, build a website to support it and create the advertising to promote it. What use is it if we work hard to build a stellar product if no one knows about it?
Every two months, a team of people collaborate to put together this newspaper, Intertribal Life. There are seven regular contributors to the newspaper, plus the content our editor curates and the graphic design work of our graphics designer. Let us not forget the proofing team that meticulously goes over each word, each punctuation mark, looking for anything that needs fine tuning—and then the printer who physically prints the newspaper and the postal carriers who deliver it.
At one point in ILM history, Maskipiton: Peace Chief, was available as a vacation Bible school study program for those who taught groups of young children during the summer months. Now, with the hard work of ministry partnership at Northern Canada Evangelical Mission (NCEM), Maskipiton: Peace Chief, is now available as a small chapter book, ready to encourage and inspire the generations with what happens when one man (or woman) takes a stand for Jesus and chooses peace.
I’m thankful to work alongside team members who share the passion to do all things well and for the Lord’s glory (1 Cor. 10:31).
I think of the random things in my day. Cleaning my house, making a meal to share with family or friends, sending a text, picking up the phone to call someone, visiting a friend . . . if I’m going to do something—anything—isn’t it worth doing well?
Our son is studying to be a motorcycle mechanic. He works for a company that sells and services all kinds of motorcycles. I don’t know about you, but if I’m riding a motorcycle, or perhaps driving on the roads with someone who is, I sure want that motorcycle to be working properly. I would hope it has been worked on by people who know what they are doing because they’ve studied hard and learned well, apprenticed by someone who is an expert in their field.
The reminder is good for all of us: Anything worth doing is worth doing well.
Krystal Wawrzyniak serves with her husband, Todd, as the Intertribal Life Ministries director duo.
