a relaxing paddle / working without a contract

I found a park yesterday near my house that has a boat launch into the river. It's at a wide spot, so the current isn't quite so fast, and I had such a nice time. There were two blue herons on the bank watching me, and I was able to see them so close-up. I've got to start bringing my camera.

Wednesday night, in prayer meeting, one of our pastors was speaking and he was talking about rewards.

He used the two parables of the talents, and the one about the boss who hired several sets of people to work in the vineyard at different times of day. He was pointing out how God rewards believers in different ways - according to their labor (Luke 19), according to their use of the abilities He had given them (Matthew 25), and according to no standard those around them could ever see (Matthew 20).

He then talked quite a while about the vineyard parable, and how the unseen quality in those who started late in the day was their faith ... the first workers had a contract, but the latter ones only had "I'll do what's right by you."

The early workers were blessed by the boss. They signed on, and got what they were hired for. And that's a good thing.

But the later workers ... they were standing around because nobody hired them, and the boss came and offered them work, with no promise of what he'd pay. And he paid them the same as those who worked all day. The people looking on couldn't figure out what he was doing. But it came down to the fact that the had, in the secret places of their minds, trusted him, and stepped out in faith.

And in the combination of his grace, and their faith, there was a great reward.