Reggie fixes bikes.  For every bike he fixes, Reggie does something special.  It may only take 5 minutes of his time.  He charges by the hour, and if the job takes 50 minutes, he will spend the other 10 minutes on that special thing.   Reggie is like a thousand other good bike mechanics, he gets his job done and earns his pay.   But in those ‘special’ minutes he transforms himself from a workman into an artist.   In those special minutes, he becomes remarkable. 

Sometimes all he does is carefully clean the chain.  Other times he’ll take the bike out to the pot-holed parking lot and be sure that the gears are adjusted properly.  And sometimes, especially if the bike is for a cute kid (they’re all cute right), he’ll attach a horn or some tassels—anything worth noticing. 

The astonishing thing is how easy it is to do what Reggie does, and how many people don’t do it.  It doesn’t matter if you’re doing accounts payable or product design.  Those last five minutes make it easy for your customers to find the difference between you and everyone else. 

It takes 99% of the time you spend just to be average.  The remarkable stuff happens with the extra five minutes.  (adapted from The Big Moo)

What can we do as a church with the extra five minutes?  A call, prayer, a simple ask “How are you?”.    

Someone recently said to me: “Let’s make it better than they thought it could be!”  I thought that was a pretty good mission statement. 

2021:  We are going to make it better than they thought it could be.

Your job or your retirement: Make it better than you thought it could be.

That round of golf: even if you’re spraying the ball all over the course—make it better…

That pandemic ‘stay-cation’: make it better…

I want to adopt this as a mission and vision statement for a new year! 

I want to hold myself accountable with this personal life-philosophy!

Maybe it takes 5 seconds, 5 minutes or 5 hours- but what are the things that we can do to make the thing we are involved in better than ‘they’ thought it could be. 

Maybe there is one thing added to a worship service that really resonates and frees the spirit.

Maybe it is taking a few deep breaths on the golf course, ski slopes, or living room couch to recognize and absorb the blessings of life.

Maybe you take 5 at the beginning or end of the day to envision or reflect upon God’s amazing grace.

It may only take 5 minutes to go from regular to remarkable.  Take 5 minutes to make your life remarkable.  Take 5 minutes to make your life better than you thought it could be.

Blessings to you in your remarkable new year!