About 15 years ago, I was sitting in a trailer, kind of run down ranch style trailer that no one really lives in for long, it was just used to keep a roof over your head in storms and such when you were out working the cows. It was a bit south and west of San Antonio, almost in what Texans would call West Texas. That might not be much a of a big deal to the rest of us, but Texas is a big place and West Texas is even bigger. And things are done a certain way down there. I was just along for the ride.

Jimmy took me out in the truck, air conditioning on high, windows rolled down as we surveyed the cows, more of them then I could count. For me, working cows is almost pure joy. There's no money in it, it stinks, and it's rough work, barb wire fence and all. But I like it a lot and miss it these days. So I was happy to be riding with Jimmy as his pastor as he was checking the cows.

We got back to the trailer and he went over to the stove, stirred the stew pot, came over to where I was seated at the old metal Formica table in the area you might call a kitchen and he plopped down a big bowl, napkin and fork, all in a proper gentlemanly style. Then he went back to the stove, bowl in hand and dished out the stew. When he set it in front of me, all I could see was cow. The pieces of meat were bigger than golf balls. I was sure it was beef, so I had eaten a lot of that in my life before my church days, so I knew I could handle a piece or two, but this bowl had enough meat in it to feed a football team the night before the game.

I said "Jimmy, this looks really good, but you know I don't eat meat, right." I had to stand on principle, at least I had to give it a try. I made a diplomatic attempt to tell him what I thought was truth, using myself as an example, while at the same time trying to avoid upsetting him, or having him hurl a pot of stew at me for my ingratitude. Remember, this was almost West Texas.

Jimmy heard me well, came over and leaned toward my face over the small table and promptly grabbed the fork. There was still time for him to do some damage with that fork, instead, he spurred each piece of cow with it(you couldn't miss), plopped it on the napkin and went back to the bowl until it was free of meat, at least the meat you could see. He pushed the bowl back and said, "There you go pastor, no meat." I was so relieved.

I hadn't noticed, but the carrots and potatoes were large too. Now, in their nakedness, they stood out calling for me to eat them before they got the fork treatment too. I swallowed my meat eating avoidance speech and dug in, wasn't bad either.

I think that was the day when I decided that there was an order to Principles, Policies, Preferences and People, and that people should probably go first. I don't know what Jimmy was thinking that day, I really don't. Probably something like how glad he was to have the pastor over and to take him on a tour of his ranch and make him feel like an honored guest. I'm just guessing, but I'd bet you a steak dinner it was something like that. No, I haven't had any steak since I was baptized, just in case you were wondering.

Anyhow, I started thinking, if there were no people around, then principles and policies and preferences wouldn't be of much use. I began thinking that if I could help people grow closer to the Lord, then He could have a better shot at helping them live better lives. I didn't give up on my principles, or polices, or even preferences that day, I just decided that people matter more than anything else. I think that is what Jesus would say. Just look at all the principles and policies and preferences he suspended or put on hold when they threw the woman caught in adultery at his feet, or when he sat at the well with another woman, or when he spoke to Nicodemus about being reborn. No, I don't think that is what Jesus would say, I know it.

I heard or read or some how got the phase in my head recently, people probably won't remember what you say, but they will remember how you made them feel. How do you think Jesus made people Feel? He put them first. Nobody else ever did that like He did.