My coworker returned from lunch on Thursday having visited her husband’s office where they received their annual flu shots. I said, “I need to do that.” 

I had just awakened from an unavoidable nap in my chair at work. It felt like someone had unplugged me from the power supply, and my batteries had run down. I forced myself through another hour and a half of staring at my computer screen. Then I roused myself enough to pack my bag and go home. 

Long story short, I later discovered I was unable to get a flu shot because the doctor said I had the flu. 

An addled brain wonders if I should bother getting a flu shot later since I’ve already had it. It’s probably a good guess that the same doctor, my wife, and my coworker would all agree that the correct answer is Yes. They would say, “You have Influenza B. You could still get Influenza A. Is that what you want?”

I do not want that. So, as soon as I don’t feel like death warmed over, I will get a flu shot. I highly recommend you do the same.

Now to today’s verse. This comes to us from a story Jesus told in the week leading up to the crucifixion. The longer context is found in verses 1 through 16. It’s a story about how kind and generous our Father in heaven is. 

Notice the plain sense of this verse. Jesus notices when people are standing around doing nothing. There are times, of course, when standing or sitting around doing nothing is a really good thing. Our vacation a couple of weeks ago was one of those times. Each day, I had to decide A) Do I read, or do I nap? B) Do I want a snack with my smoothie? C) Do I read this novel or that?

That was a good vacation.

But these guys standing around were not on vacation. Neither were they simply killing time or pitching pennies. They showed up at the place where employers selected day laborers during the harvest season. However, no one had hired them. 

The employer in the story makes several trips to hire workers. He found people in need of work each time. The generosity of this episode is seen when the employer pays a full day’s wage to the people who only worked at the end of the day. What a blessing this was to those who were picked last. If you’ve ever been picked last for a team sport, you know how these guys must have felt.

You get the point. God loves everyone, including the least, the last, and those we consider unlovable. He is better to us than we would be to ourselves. Sing with me: 

God is so good
God is so good
God is so good
He’s so good to me

Everyone who showed up got work and a full day’s wage. Everyone who showed up got work. Everyone who showed up. 

We tend to find God’s best blessings when we show up where we’re supposed to be when we’re supposed to be there. 

You may have heard that showing up is half the battle. 

Showing up was good for the employer and good for the workers. 

Who did not get blessed in this story? 

Those who did not show up. 

Showing up, putting ourselves in the place where we can be blessed, is a good idea. Sitting around irritated that you didn’t get paid because you didn’t show up is not. 

The Apostle Paul reminded his friends in Thessalonica, 

2 Thessalonians 3:7-10 For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.” (NLT)

It’s an autumn Saturday. There will be football on television all day. I’ve got to finish the book I’m reading so that I can start another one I really, really want to read. I will need a nap at some point. Maybe two going by the way I feel right now. The doctor said I can return to work on Monday. I can’t wait for Monday. Unless the doctor seriously miscalculated, I’m showing up. 

—

My bride and I have a weekly dinner with our three-year-old granddaughter. This week was a special treat. Last week, we took our precocious little one to dinner, followed by a trip to the mattress store. Across the parking lot was a shoe store. The tiny tot decided we were going there next. We left with some light-up crocs. 

Near the checkout stand stood a display of vibrantly colored backpacks. You know what happened next. Little eyes grew large, a little mouth formed a perfect circle, and little hands could not resist touching and holding each backpack in turn. However, we were able to exit the store without purchasing a backpack. 

Fast forward to this week’s dinner night. Our granddaughter and her grandmother had returned to the shoe store the day before to take another look at the backpacks. A bright pink one was purchased. It bears a white unicorn with other decorative flourishes. 

The bright and shiny backpack accompanied us to dinner this week. Inside it was a fancy dress. Daddy would not let his dainty daughter wear Belle’s gown to school. No matter. She tucked it as neatly as she knows how into the backpack. The wee one changed into her festive clothing for our trip to dinner at her favorite restaurant with us and her great-grandmother. 

She could not have been happier. We couldn’t help but smile and laugh. 

At one point, she stood in her seat and leaned her elbows on the table to take a drink of milk from her large cup. I called her by name and said, “I think you got prettier today.” She replied, “Yes, I did.”

No arrogance or pride accompanied her words. She agreed with this self-evident truth. How could she not be prettier? She was wearing a fancy dress!

This lack of pretension, this joy of life, this delightful evening, help me understand the two Bible passages above. Children are much freer to be who they were meant to be. They express their thoughts and feelings. They declare who they are by what they do and say. They understand the high value of play. They make the most of special moments. 

You have to think, don’t you, that the children Jesus talked about in the passages above loved hanging from his arms, riding on his back, and holding on to his leg as he tried to walk? Can’t you see him with a baby in his arms? Can’t you hear the laughter and feel the love?

Heaven comes near in the wonder of fancy dresses and loving laughter. 

Heaven is a long hello. Heaven echoes with laughter. Heaven is full of fancy dresses and loving embraces. 

—

I will show up in the place where I need to be when I need to be there. 

—

Our Father, thank you for your kind and extravagant generosity. Bless us with the self-discipline and commitment to show up where we need to be when we need to be there. Empower us to live responsible and fruitful lives. Amen.