Workers in the vineyard

At the beginning of the day, it looked like there was lots on the horizon, but once the morning hours had faded, there was the promise of a little easier pace. That was then, and this is now. As it turned out, the afternoon hours were just as filled with their own variety of 'things' as the morning was.

Once again, today turned out to be filled with a number of blessings, which truly come to light only when the day is over and there is time to reflect on what actually happened. There was a moment to spend with a family who is grieving even as they are preparing the celebration of their recently departed loved one's life, then there was a moment to spend with another individual who is currently exploring the possibility of conversion. There are so many questions to be answered, and it seems at times that each time a querry is responded to, there are more reasons to question, but this is the sign of an inquiring mind that thirsts for knowledge and understanding, and this is indeed very good for the recipient of the explanations as well as for the one who must try to provide the information in the first place.

As the saying goes, 'the job isn't finished until the paperwork is complete'. As it turns out, this dicton also holds true for those of us who try our best to bring good news to the ears of those who are listening. No sooner do we begin attending to the requests that arrive with the ringing of a phone or of a doorbell, than these very requests must themselves be sidelined for a moment so that we can attend to those whose lives turn out to be brightened so much as a result of a five-minute visit and a few words of encouragement. In hospitals, in homes for the aged, in various places of isolation, God's people are present, waiting for a moment, waiting for a word of encouragement, waiting for a gesture of kindness, waiting for an opportunity to love in return.