Most folks in Texas live in an area like me where you have to have a septic tank. Ever so often, depending on how many teenage boys you have in the house, you have to call a reputable “environmental service” to come out with a giant pump and clean it out.
It’s really not a pretty process but it’s something which absolutely must be done and must be done right. The kind of people who own these businesses tend to be working class, family operations with lots of drive and generally a good sense of humor. They take the service they provide very seriously without taking themselves very seriously and I like that. This is what’s behind the funny slogans you see on their trucks.
“A royal flush beats a full house” or “We’re #1 in the #2 business”. I saw a septic pumping truck in town that said something like “Caution: This truck is filled with political promises” Yes that’s crude but it’s really funny. Then again so is their business.
So once a year when my toilets back up, I make it a point to go outside and talk to the guy who makes my world a better place. About a month back, I called my favorite Yuck Truck and right on time he pulled up sounding like an M1 Abrams tank. We both stood over the concrete hole in my backyard and talked about life in general like only men can do.
Friends in Low Places
Low and behold, this man was a guy I knew as a kid. We had seen each other at various parties back in what I refer to as my B.C. days. The last time I saw him I was wearing a Toga and cowboy boots singing with the Saint Pauli girl. Here we were twenty five years later standing over the same septic tank. “I worked in the oil field for a long time”, he told me “ I got out of there because the only way you can be promoted in the oil field is to shake hands and to kiss butt and I’m not going to kiss anybody’s butt.” He made this speech of defiance as he looked me in the eye and pumped out my septic tank. I was thinking, what’s wrong with this picture?
A few days later I couldn’t quit thinking about what my friend had said and I prayerfully considered the importance of honoring the right people. Donald Trump knows the importance of strategic relationships and the kind of people he needs to be connected with. Rich people understand this principle and those of us that are typical Texans tend to reject it like a Boy George song.
For those of us in the Kingdom, we must learn the diplomacy of what it means to be an ambassador for Christ. This is not just behavior; it’s a condition of the heart we must be willing to yield to. Honor produces upgrade. Honor brings opportunity. Honor brings favor. Let’s be honorable people and partner with how God wants to upgrade our lives this year.
A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before great men.
Proverbs 18:16
The Brewer Pastors Open Door Ministries near Joshua and can be reached at freshfromthebrewer.com, troybrewer.com or opendoorministries.org
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