Late Laborer in the Vineyard

"This parable—like all parables—is not really about laborers or wages any more than the others are about sheep and goats. This is a story about God’s goodness, His patience and forgiveness, and the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a story about generosity and compassion. It is a story about grace. It underscores the thought I heard many years ago that surely the thing God enjoys most about being God is the thrill of being merciful, especially to those who don’t expect it and often feel they don’t deserve it."  -Jeffrey R. Holland

I've always loved the Parable of the Laborers found in the Book of Matthew.  Perhaps because considered myself an early laborer in the vineyard.

Early, and ever so willing to welcome the late laborers, particularly the ones hired in the eleventh hour.

"Come on over here," I imagine myself beckoning.  "You are more than welcome to work right alongside me! And I am so happy and overjoyed that you and I will receive the same pay!"

Not too long ago, however, someone suggested that each of us, sometime or another, will arrive late to some part of the Lord's vineyard.

"Late?" I mumbled to myself. "Me?  I am not a late laborer, I come early!  I've always been early."

Then this sweet woman explained that she had just discovered the vineyard of family history.

She had only been laboring for three months but the blessings and miracles of finding dates, stories, and information far surpassed her 12 week labor.  "Why would I receive such incredible blessings in just a short amount of time?"  She  asked. "I'm late in coming to this part of the vineyard.  So very late and yet, the blessings of God have filled me beyond capacity."

That's when I came to the stark realization that I AM A LATE LABORER! I'm more late than on time!

And even in my late comings, God is still merciful . . . to me.

Guardian Angel

"When we speak of those who are instruments in the hand of God, we are reminded that not all angels are from the other side of the veil. Some of them we walk with and talk with—here, now, every day" (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Ensign, November 2008).

Today I was with my three youngest at Costco. We couldn't have picked a busier time to be there!

The store was teeming with people, cart, and, of course, demonstration people. (Ooh, love those food demos!)

Moments after I turned into the produce section, heaved the 20# of potatoes in my cart and headed for the checkout, I realized I was missing something very important – my 7 year old!

He was nowhere to be seen as I looked around the bigness of this giant Costco Warehouse.

So I quickly did my best to maneuver in and out of people who were going in the opposite direction I was and found a Costco employee whose first language was not English.

Upon my second attempt to explain my concern, a woman appeared behind me and simply said, “Oh, your son is up front. He was lost and he was crying.”

“Were you the one who helped him?” was all I could muster.

She smiled and nodded.

It was all I could do to thank her as I rushed to the front of the store to see a little, seven-year old boy sprint 20 yards with arms wide open and eyes deep-filled with tears.

And as I knelt there, next to a full cart, hugging this little boy that had disappeared for all of five minutes, my heart was filled with gratitude that today, Father in Heaven sent my son a guardian angel.

Appendectomy

Here are some of the things that happened which made my husband’s SURPRISE appendicitis-turned-appendectomy into a series of God’ tender mercies for our family for the past 24 hours . . .

1. The hospital was just 12 minutes away from home, so I could stay the night with my husband at the hospital and still get up to drive the boys to school.

2. My awesome parents came - at a drop of a hat (well, really a phone call) - to substitute parent for a night. That means they saw to it that my children were fed dinner, got bathed, went to bed on time, arose early enough for scriptures, ate breakfast, and were ready for school by the time I whizzed in to pick them up!

3. Our home teacher who also fronts as the Ward YM’s President, called my husband to let him know the logistics of Mutual, only to be informed by our oldest about his Dad being in the hospital.

4. Which, in turn, led to a call at the hospital from our wonderful Bishop, checking on our family who has somehow managed to make some surprise visits to the hospital since we moved here ten months ago!

5. An intern, who walked into our room to assess the condition of my post-op husband, turned out to be the husband of a sister missionary I shared a room with in the MTC decades ago. Today was their 20th happy wedding anniversary!

6. In calling a dear friend of mine, she willingly to sent a message to her husband to visit mine before we left the hospital. (Whose husband, btw, is a dear friend of my husband – although it sounds odd saying that about men, but since I don’t know what men say about “dear friends” that’s just the way I’m gonna put it).

7. Great doctors and great nurses who did everything possible to try to make my husband try to get over his splitting headache, stabbing abdominal pain and out-of-control nausea.

8. And finally - but not finally, because I really believe that God’s tender mercies will continue on - A priesthood blessing before our hospital journey (given in the what would be “noisy hours of the day”), quieted my children for just a few moments as we united our faith for a man whom we all love. Who came home a little bent over and a lot slower in stride, but come home he did!

Thank you Heavenly Father

for all the tender mercies I was able to see,

and forgive me for not seeing all the others

that you sent just for me.