LETTERS II!               DO 52             2/71

A GOOD SECRETARY

         1. BEHIND EVERY GREAT MAN, THERE'S A GREAT LITTLE WOMAN WHO HELPS MAKE HIM THAT WAY, HIS HELPMEET. And I've run into many secretaries in many years in the business world who knew more about the bosses' business than he did. That's their job--details! He should only have to direct, advise, counsel, dictate, decide, supervise, inspire & create. She should take care of all the little details, help him read the mail, organise it for him, point out the important things, suggest what he might say, call his attention to needful items & confer with him about it, make suggestions, but not actually tell him what to do, or act like she's the boss. This might be good advice for some of you wives, in how to handle your husbands, as well, because the situation is very similar. Every woman you have working for you is one of your helpmeets & her glory is in her boss. She lives for his benefit, because it's the Lord's, & she loves Jesus, & her job is his job, because his job is Jesus'--not as unto Man, but as unto the Lord! Hallelujah!

TIPS FOR BOSSES' WIVES

         2. A TIP TO YOU BOSSES' WIVES: DON'T BE JEALOUS OF HIS SECRETARY, because if you really love him, you'll be thankful for her & that she's such a help to him & helps to make him what he is, to do what he's doing for the Lord!
         3. THANK GOD FOR UNDERSTANDING WIVES, THEY CAN BE A TREMENDOUS ASSET TO YOU BOSSES, GOD BLESS'M-because they know the boss needs more help than they can give him, to help carry his heavy load; so they shouldn't object to a few additional helpmeets--& the smart wives don't. That's how they keep their husbands! They understand the role of a secretary & her absolute necessity in his business, especially the Lord's Business; so if you love him, get him all the help he needs!
         4. IF YOU'D RATHER KILL YOURSELF TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING, because you're so damn suspicious and jealous of him and don't trust him, maybe you oughta get yourself some other kind of a husband; either that, or you're going to work yourself to a frazzle trying to do every job in the Home, just to keep the women away from him. If you can't trust him any more than that, you don't love him very much; and if you don't trust his women helpers any more than that, you don't love them enough, so you can work together in peace, love, harmony, understanding & cooperation, without the green-eyed monster of jealousy, envy, pride, sensitiveness, petty bickering, insinuating & dirty-digging coming between you & wrecking your service for the Lord, you don't deserve to be in it.
         5. IF YOU HAVEN'T GOT ENOUGH LOVE & SACRIFICIAL SERVICE & UNSELFISHNESS for the Lord's Work's sake to call nothing your own, but everything the Lord's, even your husband, & having all things in common enough to share him with his secretary a few hours a day in their essential office together, you're not very Revolutionary, or very Early Christian, & you're certainly not going to help him get very much accomplished. So let's keep sharing for Jesus! Amen?
         6. A GOOD & UNDERSTANDING BOSS' WIFE IS UTTERLY DEVOTED to her husband's work & the Lord's service, including his secretary. They should be the best of friends, good sisters in the Lord. This is very important, or it could wreck all of your relationships, including your relationship with the Lord!
         7. A SECRETARY SHOULD ENJOY HER WORK; IT SHOULD BE FUN TOGETHER! Of course, that's exactly what most wives are afraid of--that it might be too much fun. Maybe you'd better memorise the Thirteenth Chapter of 1 Corinthians: "Hope all things & take no account of evil. Love suffereth long & is kind, vaunteth not itself, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." Think it over. If you want him to be a successful administrator for the Lord, you may have to take a lot.

WHAT SECRETARIES & BOSSES MUST BE

         8. SECRETARIES ARE THE HEART & SOUL OF THIS MINISTRY OF THE MAIL, as well as its eyes, ears, tongue & touch, not to speak of the sense they must have, to be able to smell, or discern by their God-given sense of intuition or instinct the various needs of their baby, the mail, & their other baby, the boss, & whatever may be necessary to fulfil the needs of both. A good secretary knows her boss' mind & heart & language & ways so well, she can even write a letter for him, just the way he would write it, like mine wrote that one you thought I wrote for the new babes. She has to be like part of him & know exactly what he would think or say, or how he would do it, if he's not there.
         9. SHE MUST MANY TIMES REPRESENT HIM TO OTHERS, be his public relations officer, defend him, protect him, explain him & answer for him, & take all the blame in order to save him; to help bear his burdens, share his loads, encourage his faith, inspire his confidence and even help him to believe in himself, to trust and know that God is using him and to prove this to him when he's down, even when he feels like he's failed and feels like quitting. She is his right hand and his girl Friday and every other day in the week, at any hour of the day or night, whenever he needs her to get a job done. Her love for him and the Lord's Service knows no hours. She is willing to lay down her life for him and the sheep, because he represents the Lord to her and his work and life are hers; and he could not do without her. She is an absolute necessity and one of the major secrets of his success as a leader, & without whom he could hardly amount to anything without her help.
         10. THEREFORE, HE MUST REMEMBER, SINCE HE CAN'T GET ALONG WITHOUT HER, THAT HE MUST GIVE HONOUR TO THIS WEAKER VESSEL, BE CONSIDERATE & THOUGHTFUL OF HER & not overwork her, if he can help it. He must realise her limitations, as well as her capacities, that nobody is perfect, & not scream when she makes a mistake, but remember that he, too, is but clay, a bit of dust in the hands of the Lord; & he, also, would be nothing without Jesus, even as she is. "All have sinned & come short of the glory of God" (Rom.3:23), & "There is none righteous, no, not one."--Rom.3:10. "All we like sheep have gone astray" (Isa.53:6), & you're no exception, brother, so take it easy on your secretary, who is just like you, your reflection--& see yourself in her. She'll probably do no better than you; although in some of your cases, I hope she does; but since you're her leader & she's supposed to follow, whatever goes wrong is probably your fault.
         11. SO DON'T TRY TO EXPECT MORE OF HER THAN YOU DO OF YOURSELF. Although to uphold you & inspire confidence in your leadership, she may take the blame for your mistakes in public, privately she of all people knows how human & weak you are & loves you anyway, & tries to excuse you for your faults, even to yourself, & make you forgive yourself, so you can pick up & go on.
         12. SHE'S THE EPITOME OF AN ANGEL, AS WELL AS A LOVE-SLAVE TO THE LORD'S SERVICE. She does all the work, gives you all the glory & takes all the blame for all your mistakes, that's one of the things good secretaries are for, to be a buffer for you--a shock-absorber, to cushion you from the blows of others, to stand the gaff for you whenever she can, to cover for you: Love covereth a multitude of sins; her love, your sins. She admires her hero & laughs at her little boy--& loves them both the same! How about you wives?

READING THE MAIL

         13. ONE OF THE GREATEST MEN I EVER KNEW PERSONALLY, DR. OSWALD J. SMITH, MADE A VERY ADMIRABLE PRACTICE OF ANSWERING HIS MAIL EVERY MORNING, AS HE OPENED IT, THE SAME DAY THAT HE RECEIVED IT, which is probably one reason he was such a great man, a man of action, efficiency & treasuring the value of time & his corresponDENCE, & corresponDENTS. It takes a great man & a great many other things to answer your mail the same day you get it. If you want something done, ask a busy man to do it, for only a great & busy man recognises the importance of getting things done now--not tomorrow, but yesterday! Amen?
         14. IF YOU ANSWER YOUR MAIL AS SOON AS YOU GET IT, you won't have to go around long with that "guilty-conscience-wishI'd-answered-that-letter" feeling! I remember that when I was in school, I always did my homework the minute I got home so I wouldn't have to worry about it any more and I could go out and play with a free conscience; otherwise, even my play was ruined by the impending gloom of homework still undone.
         15. IF YOU WANNA ENJOY LIFE, PUT BUSINESS, GOD'S BUSINESS, LIKE THE MAIL, BEFORE PLEASURE, like studying, memorising, teaching, witnessing & fellowshipping; because the mail is one of your most important witnesses, your window on the World, your life-line to lost souls & sometimes your own source of supply; so you'd better get with it & get it done, even before some of these other things.
         16. IT'S ONE OF THE MOST URGENT JOBS IN THIS BUSINESS, & SHOULD HAVE TOP PRIORITY, seniority, partiality & special consideration, above & beyond most of the other things; instead of putting it off 'til everything else is done; in which case, you'll never do it. So if you're gonna wait until you have time, you'll never answer the mail--because you have to MAKE time for it--just like anything else on your schedule.
         17. THE MINUTE YOU START READING THE MAIL, TAKE YOUR HI-LITER OR COLOURED PEN & UNDERLINE THE KEY WORDS of the major subjects of the letter as you read, as we do. Then, while the letter is still in your hand, start dictating an immediate reply, while the facts are still fresh in your mind, the letter is still in your hand, with the main points underlined, so your answer can go out the same day. This is, as the Scripture commands, being diligent in business, (Pro. 22:29) and with everything done in decency and in order.--1 Cor. 14:40.
         18. YOU CAN USE A SIMPLE LITTLE SYSTEM THAT I USED TO USE WITH MY SECRETARIES, OF CODED ABBREVIATIONS with which to mark the letter & how to answer it--a list of which abbreviations you make sure that she also has on her desk, so she won't forget. Mark each letter carefully & prayerfully, with your suggested answer, coded abbreviations, comments & the numbers of stock paragraphs to be used, & make sure that they are all clearly stapled or clipped together, in or with their envelopes, & stacked on top of her typewriter, with a sweet, little loving note from you to cheerfully greet her, first thing in the morning, as she enters her office; so she can immediately go to work without waiting on you.

CODED ABBREVIATIONS: "ILY!"

         19. THESE SIMPLE LITTLE ONE-OR-TWO CHARACTER ABBREVIATIONS STAND FOR VERY COMMON TERMS THAT YOU VERY FREQUENTLY USE, such as "ILY".
         20. IF YOU'LL NOTICE BY THE NEWSPAPER, FOLKS SELDOM SHOOT PEOPLE THEY DON'T KNOW; mostly just their wives, husbands, secretaries, lovers, etc.; & sometimes these are one & the same 'cause you can't get mad at somebody you don't even know. It's those closest to you that infuriate you. aggravate you, annoy you, upset you & set you screaming over their stupid little mistakes, when you've told'm a thousand times. But of course they have to live with you too & your damn stupidity & tyrannical rages & colossal errors, so that makes you even.
         21. IF EVER ANY TWO PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD NEED TO LOVE EACH OTHER & learn how to put up with each other's faults & failures, stupendous stupidity, blinding blunders & unfailing forgetfulness, it's a boss & his secretary, as a husband & wife, & their wives & husbands; so they'd better all learn how to say it. Remember, "ILY" is the coded abbreviation for "I love you"--& it's one that you can never use too much! Begin & end every note with it, even your notes of complaint: "I love you, Sweetheart.--But you know so-&-so...but I still love you, anyhow."--& don't ever let her forget it, especially when you're mad or scolding each other! Remember you still love each other. If you keep saying it, you may even convince yourself, as well as her! Love begets love & she'll only reflect what you dish out! So if you want love & respect, kindness & consideration, diligence & faithfulness & untiring service, give her the same--& she'll love you for it!
         22. AS MRS. BILLY GRAHAM SAID, WHEN ASKED IF SHE WASN'T JEALOUS, with her husband gadding all over the World without her most of the time: "No, because I'd rather have a little bit of Billy than a whole lot of somebody else!" A little competition really helps, if they know how to take it; & the same goes for you secretaries' husbands, don't you think so? If you can't get the victory over this kind of a situation, how are we ever gonna overcome the World? We had to get rid of a couple of husbands who were screaming because their wives wouldn't give them every minute of their time, instead of devoting so much time to the Lord's Work! How about you?
         23. SOME SAMPLE CODED ABBREVIATIONS THAT WE USED TO USE ARE PL, for prayer letter; TK, for thank; AP for application; R, for receipt; INFO for information; WT, warning tract; ANS, for a special answer; NOW, for urgent, right today; PICS, for picture sheet; HT, for healing tract; HEM, for my Mother's book etc. You will think of many more to write & send, & the many kinds of enclosures you will include.
         24. JUST BE SURE THAT WHEN YOUR OFFICE STAFF HAS AGREED ON A SET OF ABBREVIATIONS FOR EVERYTHING you use & every office procedure regarding handling the mail, that you arrange them on one sheet of paper in alphabetical order with their definitions, to both remind you, the staff, & for the benefit of new workers. This greatly simplifies your whole operation.
         25. IN OUR ORIGINAL SMALL-FAMILY OPERATION, I USED TO JUST MARK THESE IN RED ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE ENVELOPE of each letter to indicate how I wanted it handled, or answered; & once your secretary is used to the system, she will know pretty much what you want & this will take care of a great deal of the mail you receive.

SPECIAL ANSWERS

         26. CODING WILL TAKE CARE OF ALL THE STANDARD TYPES OF MAIL YOU RECEIVE, such as inquiries about our work, for which you send them a simple form letter answer & include a stock information sheet or brochure. Or if they're interested in joining, include an application; or if it's a donation, include a thank-you letter, receipt etc., all of which are ready on hand in printed or mimeographed form & merely need to be enclosed with the form letter used in each case. This you will determine according to the need.
         27. BUT THERE WILL BE MANY LETTERS WHICH WILL REQUIRE SPECIAL ANSWERS: Questions, comments, criticisms, special inquiries, offers, donations etc. These can be greatly speeded up in processing by using a set of specially prepared stock paragraphs to be used in each individual case. All that you have to do is include that paragraph number in your coding of the envelope, & your secretary will know exactly which one to use & how to answer the letter, without your having to personally dictate it. In fact, she will not have to personally bother with it herself, but can turn it over to any of your typists, while she does more important work, such as taking dictation, supervising, organising etc., with a minimum of instruction in special cases. Not all paragraphs will exactly fit every single case & she may have to show the typist how to revise it slightly in that particular instance.
         28. WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO BY THE USE OF STOCK PARAGRAPHS IS TO SIMPLIFY, standardise & streamline your answering of the mail, so as to greatly cut down on the time you need to give to each piece personally. Most of these stock paragraphs can be formulated by you & your secretary in advance, to cover most standard cases without change, such as requests for information, applications & so on--the type of one-time request which may be answered without repetition to the same party at a later date. Your thank-you & news paragraphs, however, will have to be changed frequently, such as weekly, to bring the news up-to-date & not be saying exactly the same thing & obvious repetition of a form, to the same donor next week.
         29. SOME VERY SPECIAL ANSWERS, IN CERTAIN RARE & PECULIAR CASES, WILL HAVE TO BE DICTATED PERSONALLY & individually, such as a particular point of doctrine, some special question not covered by the paragraphs etc., including comments made in their letters. I used to note these briefly in red, right on the letter itself, beside the point in question, with my answer, so the secretary could type it without dictation, which saves a lot of time & personal attention, & can be typed as convenient.

WISE LEADERSHIP

         30. YOU MUST REMEMBER IN YOUR DEALINGS WITH UNDERLINGS & FOLLOWERS, THAT THE CHURCH WAS NOT INTENDED TO BE A DICTATORIAL HIERARCHY run only by those at the top, without question or counsel or mutual agreement, like some denominations & some governments; but God's children were intended to be a voluntary family fellowship, cooperating together in love, each of his own free will, not by coercion, force or slavedriving tactics, such as, from what I hear, some of you sound like you may have been guilty of, which may be partially responsible for some of your personnel problems!
         31. TO HAVE A FEW OCCASIONAL PERSONALITY CLASHES IS UNDERSTANDABLE, BUT LOVE NEVER FAILS, & these should be healed through humility, love & the oil of His Spirit--for he that is greatest among you must be servant of all (Mat.23:11), not lording it over God's heritage (1 Pet.5:3) as some kind of little Hitler who can do no wrong. If the machinery is well oiled with the Love of the Holy Spirit, it will operate smoothly & quietly without squeaking & screeching, run faster & more efficiently, wear well & last longer, & not wear out, burn up, get hot or explode with internal friction, which causes many breakdowns! Love, humility & prayer solve all problems! It never fails!
         32. IF YOU'RE HAVING TOO MANY PERSONNEL PROBLEMS & CLASHES, MAYBE THE TROUBLE IS NOT WITH THEM, BUT WITH YOU! Once when I was teaching school & flunked nearly the whole course, my school superintendent paid me a kindly visit & suggested that when nearly the whole class fails, it's usually the teacher's fault & not that of the class. If you're having to constantly scold & lecture & rant & rave at your followers for disobedience & disloyalty to leadership, maybe there's something wrong with you or you would inspire in them more loving loyalty & faithful obedience, if you were more loving with them!
         33. YOU'VE SELDOM EVER HEARD ME GIVE AN ORDER, EXCEPT IN EMERGENCIES, that I did not put it in the form of a gentle suggestion or question: "Don't you think we should do so-&so, or would you like me to do so-&-so, or how about doing so-&-so; or what do YOU think we should do about it?"--In order to always give you a choice & make it voluntary, if possible.
         34. WE WANT AN ARMY OF LOVING, LOYAL VOLUNTEERS--NOT DRIVEN DRAFTEES! Try to lead your sheep, instead of driving them! It takes a small man, insecure in his authority, to keep insisting on respect, loyalty & obedience, instead of inspiring it voluntarily in their hearts by your own loving & considerate example. Are you doing unto others as you'd have them do unto you? I always try to put myself in the other fellow's shoes & not expect any more of him than I would expect of myself, & not ask any more of him than I would want him to ask of me, were our positions reversed! Try love & patience, it really works! Disciples & babes know if you really love them or not, & if they know you really do--that you'll die for them, feel for them--they'll follow gladly & die for you!

Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family