Investigation...

I opened the car door, got out of the van, and "waddled" into Publix with Madi. She made sure the first stop was at the bakery for her free cookie "with sprinkles". After getting our groceries and going through the checkout. We, headed back to the van to go home. As I was driving down Memorial Park by the cemetery, I hear a voice in the back, "Daddy, I'm not buckled". Of course I immediately pulled over (next to the tombstones - which was a little freaky), and she buckled herself in her car seat.

I got to thinking about something I heard Ed Young Jr. say at a leadership conference today, "Delegation, without investigation is an abomination." You see, Madi recently hasn't been letting us buckle her into her car seat because, "she can do it herself". It's great! She's growing up, buckling herself in, taking on responsibility! Now that she can do it herself, do we just get in, start the van and drive off? NO! As responsible parents (save when Dad runs to Publix), we turn around and check to see if she has securely fastened herself to the car seat. Now I know most of you don't have small children, but you do have older ones, teenagers. You also have people you work with. So whether its children, teenagers, or co-workers you have delegated things to, it's your responsibility to "investigate". Yes, you trust your kids. Yes, you trust those whom you are in charge of. But, that still doesn't relieve you of your responsibility to check up to see if they are keeping up with what they said they would do. It's our job as parents, ministry leaders, business leaders, and student leaders to check up on those God has placed under our care. Why? Because, "delegation, without investigation, is an abomination."