The true character of a person

I have often heard a great indicator of a person’s character is how one treats those who one has some charge over, even if it’s temporary such as a waiter in a restaurant or store clerk. I would go on to say it applies to how one treats the aging, children or any powerless or helpless person or group.

It’s been more than eleven years ago when I received a phone call, out of the blue and heard this booming voice greet me with a pleasant “How is your day going? This is Michael Blackwell with Baptist Children’s Homes.”

While Dr. Blackwell and I had never met, we had many mutual friends and, unbeknownst to me, he had already vetted me for a position that was open at Baptist Children’s Homes (BCH).

What Dr. Blackwell did not know at the time was that I had been praying for a new opportunity to use my skills and knowledge in the childcare field while combining them with Christian service. Was this an answer to prayer? I was definitely intrigued by the possibilities.

We hit it off after my first one-on-one interview at the Shoney’s in West Asheville. I was impressed with his kindness to me, and to the waitress, as well as his genuine curiosity about my family and faith. Before the evening was over, we decided to take it a step further. Several long weeks passed before my family and I accepted an invitation to visit Mills Home in Thomasville and spend some time with Dr. and Mrs. Blackwell and some key staff members.

My wife, Donna, and I arrived on campus with two young and energetic boys in tow –– six-year-old Joshua and Joseph who just turned five. Our first stop that evening was a visit with Dr. Blackwell at his office. In my mind, I thought this would be a casual introduction of Donna and the boys and there would be a few minutes of light chit-chat before we either called it a night or Dr. Blackwell and I would begin discussing the new position while my family slipped back to our overnight accommodations. Nope, that didn’t happen.