A recent discussion with my husband made me realise just how much people who work behind the scenes are not recognised or even ‘seen’. And there are times when they do need to be acknowledged, especially at times they are hurting.
We’d been having a discussion with our Pastor and his wife about a family matter and they were asking about things they knew I’d been doing (my new book being one of those things) but they didn’t have a point of reference for asking my husband about things he does. They did ask about his job but because it’s very ‘techy’ it tends to go over most people’s heads.
I’m very proud of my husband and although I don’t understand all the technical aspects of all he does I do appreciate and understand that there is a lot that people all over our country use online and via phone which my husband plays a part in making sure works properly.
At church once again my husband is someone who works behind the scenes. He operates a TV camera on roster or works the CCU (Camera Control Unit) which is completely outside of the auditorium and not visible to anyone in the church. There he monitors the camera activity on 4 screens and has a big panel board of switches and controls, ensuring that the services are being recorded to DVD with correct lighting, sound and other aspects of recording.
What he does is important to the end result of being able to produce a DVD and down loadable video from the church website so that those who could not attend the services for whatever reason can still watch the services from their computers at home or work.
Whilst it’s important we don’t blow up the importance of who we are and what we do, the reality is there are always going to be people in the front line who are visible to the public and get a large portion of acknowledgement for what they do. We need to remember though, those who work behind the ‘front line’ and frequently ‘behind the scenes’ and are not visible but all the same still very important, so that the whole picture of what takes place is seen and appreciated.
In Corinthians 12:12-31 we are told about how we’re all part of one body made up of many parts. And that no one part is more important than the other. Think about how our eyes and ears and mouth are more visible to others and that many pay attention to how we look or use those visible portions of our bodies. But what about our mind, our hearts, and those internal organs that are not visible but just as important and possibly even more so, in order for us to operate? Often people are assessed on ‘face value’ at first meeting and it’s often not till a relationship has been developed over a period of time that the lesser seen aspects of someone (their heart, their mind, etc) become something more visible to the unseen eye.
At our church they have a monthly event called ‘unsung heroes’ where they do applaud those who work behind the scenes in the church and make sure those who are usually invisible to the congregation at large are recognised for the part they play in helping our church to run smoothly.
Have you considered who are ‘behind the scenes’ and are ‘unsung heroes’ at your church, or your workplace or even perhaps amongst your friends and family? These people don’t seek the limelight but deserve to be recognised, and particularly if it’s at a time when something has happened in their lives and they need extra special care. Why not think about that today and pay someone some special attention just because of who they are?