Hidden blessings

Yesterday I gave a speech at the Gwinnett technology forum in the Scientific Atlanta Auditorium. The speech content was concerning what I currently do and have done to become successful. I was asked to give it several months ago and at the time I was asked to do it, I was told that I did not have to speak for several months out. I felt obligated to do it because the fellow that asked me to give it reminded me that I won Business Person of the year last year through the Chamber of Commerce and that the Chamber was co-hosting the event. I did not really think much about it until I started getting near the date of the speech. As I got closer to the date and realized that I had committed to speak in front of 100 or so top CEO’s and executives in the Atlanta area technology industry I began to question my sanity. I thought now why am I doing this? I am already busier than a one-armed paper hanger. I am not being paid anything and I am not trying to sell anything, I am just doing it. I am overwhelmed with projects and I am working 12-15 hours per day and have no spare time for anything.

Due to my work load, I waited until the very last minute to prepare my speech and actually typed out an outline of what I wanted to talk about at the airport on the way to Atlanta to give the speech. I did not feel prepared and really wished that there was some way to get out of it; however a commitment is a commitment and I arrived right on time. I was greeted at the door by some of the top business persons in the Atlanta technology world and I began to wish I could disappear.

As it turned out, I was not the least bit nervous and God helped me through the entire morning. I am really glad I got to give the speech because I was able to give my testimony whereby I hitch hiked into Atlanta as a non-Christian penniless, beset by severe problems, and in terrible shape and shortly thereafter became a Christian and my life completely turned around for the better and has remained so through the years. I told them through maintaining a good attitude, a strong work ethic and most importantly having God’s blessings I had founded several successful businesses. I mentioned that I am an openly Christian businessman and that my belief system remains a cornerstone of my business philosophy. I went on to tell them of the business model that we have developed including my views on providing outstanding customer service, state of the art products and a myriad of other business principles that have helped our companies succeed.

After the speech I was swarmed for over an hour and a half with people thanking me and telling me it was inspiring to hear my speech. I received several leads for some top people who potentially might come to work for our company and several people offered to help us learn more about some complex technical projects that we are working on.

There is a lesson here. Initially I questioned my sanity and wondered why I would do something for nothing. In reality I helped numerous people who told me they took pages of notes; I met some new friends and had countless offers from attendees to help me with some difficulties that we experience at Horizon. Best of all I got to witness to what God has done in my life to some of the top executives in Atlanta.

I will be careful in the future to make sure I do not reduce my thinking about such matters to what is in it for me? In serving others there are far more blessings than initially meet the eye I thank God for pointing that out to me. Aren’t you glad that was not the thinking of Jesus Christ when He envisioned what he would need to go through in order to be reunited with all of us sinners?

Matt. 26:67
Then they spat in His face and
beat Him; and others struck Him
with the palms of their hands