Proverbs 31: 15. "First Up. First In."

Proverbs 31: 15     She also rises while it is yet night,
And provides food for her household,
And a portion for her maidservants.

Proverbs 31: 15.  The manager of a hotel or restaurant is up and on duty hours before breakfast begins.  He/she makes sure that the staff are all in place, equipped, and on task to provide food and hospitality for the guests.  The manager probably never flips a single pancake or takes a single order, but he/she takes care of everybody ---- all of the guests and all of the staff.   

Why would “a boss” get up so early and work so hard when he/she has employees to do that stuff?  Because that’s what it takes to be a boss.

First up.  First in.  Last to leave.  Last to bed.

That’s how King David lived (Psalm 119: 147).  That’s how Moses operated (Exodus 8: 20; 34: 4).  Joshua got up first and got it started (Joshua 3:1).  And Jesus was always up and rolling before his disciples (Mark 1: 35), even if He’d ended the night before literally dead (Matthew 28: 1, 2).

First up.  First in.  Last to leave.  Last to bed.

I remember the many cold mornings that my father woke me to do some early morning chore.  I remember that he was already fully dressed and he’d already been up and outside working before he came to get me.  I remember carefully stepping over the freshly shined shoes that Daddy changed into for the day job he sandwiched between early morning and late evening working on the farm.

I remember my mom flicking on the light switch and hollering for me to get up and get ready.  I remember that she had the housecoat on over her workclothes, her makeup was already done,  and the house already smelled of biscuits (homemade from scratch), and grits, and bacon that were almost done.

First up.  First in.  Last to leave.  Last to bed.

That’s what it takes to be a leader.  That’s what it takes to be “a boss.”

And ladies that’s what it takes to be a queen.

---Anderson T. Graves II   is a writer, community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.

Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Hall Memorial CME Church in Montgomery, Alabama, executive director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO) and director of rural leadership development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).

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