Apollo 11’s mission was to accomplish President Kennedy’s goal to land a man on the moon.
It launched from Cape Kennedy on July 16th, 1969, carrying three astronauts. My bet is that you’ve heard of two of them: Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong. Aldrin was Eagle pilot of the Lunar Module on the mission, and Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon. He famously said,
“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
But there was a third man on this mission: Michael Collins. Have you ever heard of him? I hadn’t. And I don’t know about you, but if I’m being honest, I would hate being Michael Collins. It’s kind of like being a member of NSYNC, but not being Justin Timberlake!
No one has heard of Collins, but he was one of three astronauts on this important mission. His job was to pilot the Apollo 11 command module and fly around the moon while Aldrin and Armstrong walked on its surface. When prompted to comment on his role on the mission, he explained what an honor it was to have one of the three seats available on Apollo 11 and to help put the first man on the moon. Though he never stepped on the moon’s surface and didn’t gain the same level of fame as the other two men on his mission, he knew the importance of his role.
There is something life-giving for each of us when we understand that our role matters.
The person at the church who is making the snacks for VBS . . .
The person in the business keeping the books . . .
The person in the restaurant grilling the burgers . . .
The person in the school mopping the floor . . .
The person in the stadium picking up the trash in the stands . . .
The person editing footage behind the scenes . . .
The person making the phone calls to every client to make sure they feel cared for . . .
MATTERS. They matter and their role matters. In each situation, what they are doing helps the whole organization move closer to its desired goal.
Your role matters too. When you understand that your role is essential to the success of your organization, you better understand that the things you’re doing day-in and day-out matter too.
