Dead Noses Smell No Roses

Many years ago I worked with an older gentleman who was always sharing bits and pieces of pithy wisdom with anyone who would listen.  He especially liked sharing these thoughts with younger guys around him.  He was the person from whom I learned a statement I often make to our students, "Experience is expensive and a wise man buys it second hand."  I learned a lot from this older and wise man.  One thing that I thought about driving to school this morning (Yes, we are making up a snow day on Saturday!  Stupid groundhog!) was a statement I heard him say more than once, "Dead noses smell no roses, so give flowers while they can be enjoyed." The real meaning isn't about flowers.  It's about giving praise and credit when it is due, not after a person is gone and can't enjoy it.

In the 37 years I have been in Christian education I have been blessed to work with some wonderful people.  I have worked with men and women who could have made a lot more money in a lot of secular fields but chose to dedicate themselves to Christian education.  They made this choice even though it meant great sacrifices at times.  One such person is a member of our staff here at ACS who has been a part of our school for over 30 years, Mr. Duane Manning.  Duane came here right out of college and became the driving force behind our music, drama, and speech programs.  This certainly isn't all he has done, but when you mention speech and drama in North Carolina Christian school circles the name Duane Manning always comes up.  He is a legend in this state.  He works tirelessly to produce state champion performers in drama, speech, choric speaking and readers theater competitions year after year.  Just this week his groups in Junior High and Senior High choric and readers theater won yet more state titles and many will go on to compete at the national competition next month.   I had a fellow administrator ask me, in sarcastic humor, "Is Duane EVER going to retire?"  He was paying tribute to the fact that Duane's students are hard to beat in competition.

But, there is a deeper purpose in Duane's ministry here.  Sure, he takes what he teaches our students very seriously but he takes his personal investment in the spiritual growth and maturity of our students far and above any performance or production. For all these years he has spent thousands of hours counseling and mentoring young men and women.  He has hosted groups of them in his home many times every year.  He has maintained contact with them over the years and I rarely meet a graduate of ACS who doesn't ask me about him.  He is the embodiment of what every Christian educator should be.  He sacrifices in every way to pour himself into the lives of the hundreds of students who have sat in his classes over all these years.  The most telling fact about the love and respect he has earned from his students is that nearly every graduate who drops by for a visit always makes a point to stop in and catch up with one teacher..... Duane Manning.

I don't usually dedicate a blog post to individuals but, dead roses smell no roses.  I don't anticipate Duane will graduate to glory anytime soon but I want him to know how much this administrator, this staff and the graduates of ACS love and appreciate who he is and all he does.  Here's to you, Mr. Manning!  You're the best!!