Set yourself up for Success



A knock at the door last week sparked an inner snooping, a curious probing of the soul. Several elementary aged children arrived at the doorstep in their quest for a pledge donation for a school connected charity.

Hey mister would you like to sponsor us?”…they queried. Only having the change in my pocket, I gladly parted with it, a mere three dollars. One of children promptly snickered. I politely explained it was all the money that I had on me and inquired if they took plastic, asking “do you have a debit machine?”… The group giggled and stated that they didn’t have a debit machine. The young child placed my small donation in her pledge envelope and walked away.

As the group walked down the walkway the young child remembered that she was suppose to have sponsors sign her pledge sheet. “Oh, I’m sorry but you have to sign my sheet too”…she stated. As she walked back to the door I asked “do you have a pen?”

The look of fright that came over her was astonishing. “Ah…ah…ah, no I don’t.” It was clearly evident she did not know what her next move was; she had encountered an obstacle to which she did not have the resources to solve. “You wait right here and I’ll run to my desk and grab a pen”… I told her. I quickly returned and signed her pledge sheet, and clipped the pen to her envelope and handed it back. “There you go…you’re all set. You can keep the pen. You will need it at the next house” I said.

My 13 year old son had been standing on the upper landing and witnessed my encounter with the group of children. “Dad” he said…”you just set them up for success.” I began to think… was I set up for success??

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