James Byrd is celebrating 10 years at Mount Paran North today! Pastor Byrd has served the Church of God denomination in so many capacities as pastor, evangelist, state/regional youth and discipleship director, administrative pastor and middle/senior adults pastor. In addition to that, he also served as a missions director at Haggai Institute for 7 years. JB is one of the wisest men that I have ever met and had the privilege to serve with. Though we never had an official mentoring relationship, he indeed is one of the mentors that I strive to emulate in servant leadership.
The greatest lesson I learned from James Byrd is to develop the art of listening to others and measuring my words. If you need an ear, you can be sure that Pastor Byrd will listen with full attention to what you are saying. This seems to be a lost art today because people are so preoccupied with multitasking that they miss the treasure of the moments we spend together. JB seems to be able to tune out everything else and focus only on the person he is engaged in conversation with. Because of his ability to listen, James Byrd can offer better advice and wisdom because he has actually heard and understood the other person and what they are facing in life.
Pastor Byrd also measures his words more than any person I have ever met. I often found myself interrupting Pastor Byrd when I thought he was finished speaking, but he was still measuring his words--this makes for awkward moments in conversation. Because he carefully thinks through every word before he speaks, the message he communicates is crystal clear. You do not walk away from a conversation with JB with misunderstanding. He communicates carefully and his clear messages are seasoned with grace.
James Byrd is the epitome and fulfillment of the scripture that says, "Be quick to listen and slow to speak." Thanks to my friend and mentor for teaching me invaluable lessons in leadership!
No comments:
Post a Comment