I love people who think of the loose ends. There are times when they can be annoying; you know the moments where a to-do task has been sitting and the game is coming on but somebody thinks getting the work done is more important! Yet it is the people that pay attention to the details that build the foundation that every success rests on.
Earlier this week I traveled for the first time with two work colleagues. Each has very different styles of working. Two are vision, paint with broad brushes kind of guys. The other has a list, check-points, and remembers all the fine print. Thanks goodness for the one person watching the details!
Some will argue that paying attention to the detail takes too much time, effort, and energy. Given that it takes detail to get things done I do not believe that the premise is valid. If one skips the details the odds are that the conclusion will be wrong. If one is committed to quality and getting things done then the work begins again. Frustration sets in, time is lost, and opportunities disappear. The combination of vision and details can go together.
Take Jesus for example. “When the people had eaten their fill, he said to his disciples, ‘Gather the leftovers so nothing is wasted.’” (John 6.12) Think through all the little things that make life so much better yet many ignore or let go. How much harder is it to smile when you meet somebody? How difficult is it to dispose of trash appropriately? Have you ever considered just how good it feels to help somebody when they least expect it?
Details are the small things that make great symphonies. You and I have the power to create miracles in the lives of the people around us. Some might consider this impossible yet the greatest miracle occurs in a person when someone gives them unconditional acceptance, unmerited mercy, and friendship with no strings attached.
Life is many loose ends. We can tie a few today and make a real difference.
