<br/>A Lifetime Impact: A Lesson in Integrity by Kim O'Brien

Today I received an email from Kim, who used to work in Steve's office decades ago. She wrote to tell an important lesson she learned from my husband. It made me proud, so I am sharing it with you.

As a young, new staff with Cru working as financial administrator for Dr. Bill Bright’s office, I often felt overwhelmed and under-qualified to do the job. I hadn’t been a business or accounting major in college. I had studied in the school of Health Related Professions and earned my bachelor of science in Speech Pathology and Audiology.

Nonetheless, I worked hard to manage the finances well and to keep close tabs on the spending. This was not a small task considering the enormous vision of our leaders and the thousands of dollars it sometimes took to operate specific accounts.

One morning as I sat at my desk poring over the monthly financial report and operating expenses for Dr. Bright’s office, Steve Douglass approached my office with a nickel or perhaps a dime in hand. Either way, it was not much, yet the impact of what he said to me was priceless. Steve was the Executive VP for Cru at the time, a man who worked tirelessly and faithfully for the ministry of Cru. Most men in his position, who give so much to their work, would most likely never think twice about occasionally taking something from the office for their personal us--such as an envelope or some paper.However, not Steve.

That day with nickel in hand Steve was making sure he paid for what he used. I don’t remember if it was an envelope or even a copy he had made, but it doesn’t really matter. The point is he went out of his way to pay for something that had been for his personal use.

His integrity spoke volumes to me about the type of man who gave leadership to the ministry of Cru! In my 24 years on staff I’ve never forgotten that day and the impact it had on me. It bolstered my confidence in the organization of which I was a part and challenged me to live my life with the same integrity.

Thank you Cru, and thank you Steve Douglass for leaving a lasting impression on me and helping to shape me into the person I am today!

What about you? Who has influenced you by a small act of integrity?

Kim and her husband, Matt, have worked with Cru since 1990 - in Orlando (FL), Colorado Springs (CO), Twin Falls (ID), Portland (OR), and Boise (ID). Since 2007, they have given leadership to the Cru ministry at Boise State University (BSU). In addition to their ministry at Boise State University, they give leadership to a team of volunteers who invest in high school students at two local high schools in the Treasure Valley. They have three children Kendal (20), Phil (18) and Andrew (15).