Expert Advice

October 2, 2019

“When you’ve paid that kind of money for a consultant, you might want to listen to what he has to say.” Those words came back to haunt me today. It was some twenty five years ago; we had hired a financial consultant to help us raise money for the new church building we so desperately needed, had signed a contract with him and paid him half his fee. His first order of business was to ask for the giving records of everyone in the church for the past three years. He wanted to know the dollar amount people gave. His reasoning was sound—you don’t want someone leading a financial campaign who hasn’t yet demonstrated financial commitment to the church. 

Some squawked. “That’s confidential information! The pastor shouldn’t know who gives what!” That latter comment amused me. They were willing to trust me with their eternal souls, but not with the record of their giving. Apparently they thought I would give preferential treatment to the big givers. In reality, some didn’t want me to know how little they were doing. Their talk was bigger than their walk. 

In the end, my little speech won the day. We got the information we needed, and with it, avoided a major disaster. The person we thought would be best to lead the campaign turned out not to have quite the commitment we imagined. Some left the church over the whole matter, but we took the advice of our advisor, and the rest is, as they say, history. We’ve been in that building for nearly twenty years, and are now on the verge of an even bigger financial challenge for a major expansion.

“When you’ve paid that kind of money for a consultant, you might want to listen to what he has to say.” Why do I remember those words tonight? Why are they accusing me so vociferously? This morning I saw my doctor about pain in my left thumb. He checked me out, manipulating the thumb and asking questions before recommending giving it a rest from any activity that caused pain. I’d been flexing it when it hurt, trying to work out the pain. Apparently, that is a bad idea. He wants it immobile whenever possible. And he prescribed wearing a splint to accomplish that immobilization, which I had no intention of doing.

So what did I do when I got home from band rehearsal? I was a good husband, peeling apples for two hours for my wife to make into applesauce. By the time we were done with this first batch, my thumb and wrist were on fire! I used to have a sign on my desk that read, “Take my advice. I’m not using it.” I guess tomorrow, I’ll have a slice of humble pie and go get that splint. And while I’m giving thanks for my doctor and for the insurance to cover the splint, I’ll do my best to forget any advice I ever gave about listening to the experts.