The Shirt on Your Back...

I'm sure you've heard the expression, "he'd give you the shirt off his back" as a way of illustrating that someone is particularly giving or generous. The shirt on your back is presumably the last thing you might own, and people who really want to serve others are apparently willing to give even that away.

Recently, I've had a number of encounters with the shirt on my back, not because I was giving it away, but just because I was wearing it.

I'm talking about my PCC shirt.

A few days ago, I was in a local store, buying something, and the cashier asked me if I went to that church, pointing to the logo on my shirt. "Yes, I do," I told her, with a smile. "Well, I've had several friends tell me about it and I was thinking about coming." "I think you should," I said. "You would like it." I never mentioned who I was. I never do. It's not about me. It's about her.

I got an email about a similar encounter from a friend recently. Here is a piece of that email:

"Today I went [to a local story] at Westchester Commons to pick up some things.

When the manager came out, she saw my PCC hat, she got excited and wanted to know if I went to the church next door. Not connecting immediately, (old age I guess), I told her no, my church was in Powhatan.

She explained that I was wearing the same logo on my hat. Then when I realized what she meant, I told her that we had 2 [locations] and one of them was next door. Next thing I know, we were hugging like we were old friends!

She promised she is going to be going there and never heard of church in a theater.

She instantly recognized the logo. Way to go Beth and those that created this logo. It matters."

Wear your shirts, friends. They will spark conversations that you could never manufacture on your own. And the best part is that people will initiate them. All you have to do is wear the shirt on your back!