Have you ever felt like giving up because the wait was too much? There is so much to unpack in this week’s parable, but the part that has stuck with me the most? When Tom talked about how there were still people waiting for work at the 11th hour. Instead of giving up and going home, they held on, hopeful that they could get something, anything, to take back to their families that day. They weren’t picked first, or second, or third…but they were still picked. And, I’m guessing they worked hard for that hour or so that they had the opportunity to have a job. They gave their all because it was what they had to give.
There are a couple lessons there, for sure. One is about patience and trust – those workers didn’t know if they would be hired, but they knew they had to wait and trust that their needs would be provided for in some way. Many days they probably went home without a job, without any money, and maybe with a little less hope. But, they showed up the next day, hopeful that this would be the day they were picked. And then they stayed. When they were finally chosen, they took the job, probably grateful for any bit of time they had to labor! They could have given up and gone home, but they didn’t. And their patience was rewarded beyond their wildest dreams!