man for hire

This last Saturday morning, I got up early and cooked up a couple batches of the worlds best gravy to serve to the hungry out in the park. Like many times in the past, during the week leading up to the new tradition, there were doubts about if we would even be able to serve. So many times we've come to the realization that we couldn't do it, but, held on to the belief that if God wanted it to happen, it would. Every week that we've stepped out in faith, God has provided what we needed.


Not far from the park is a Home Depot store, where guys will gather in the morning waiting to be hired for the day as laborers by contractors, movers, landscapers, etc. They are not guaranteed a job, but, go every day hoping someone will stop by needing help. This is how they survive, this is how they pay their bills. They go expecting and are often rewarded, however, there are times when there are more workers then work and they go home empty handed. You would think that when this happens, it would deter them from coming back, but, it doesn't. Instead, they head out looking for a job the traditional way, filling out applications. The next morning, they're back at Home Depot.


It makes me think how we, as followers of Jesus, could learn a real lesson from the day laborers. What if we made ourselves available every single day to be used by God? What if every morning we got up and went to a place and just waited, saying, "here I am God, need some help today? I'll build or maintain or clean or whatever you want, I'll do it, I'm your guy." One thing that's sure in God's economy is there is more work than workers.


Idealistically this sounds great and maybe someday we'll try this out, when we have more time, but, more often than not, our own schedules and agenda get in the way of going to God on a regular basis and saying "use me God! I'm a hard worker!" But, what if our survival depended on it? Jesus made it a point to say he doesn't do anything unless he sees the father do it. The only way he could see the father do it, was if he went to a place where the father was and look to see what he was doing that day.


If we just sit back and wait, we'll never get anywhere. If we do as Jesus did and go to that place where we can see what God is doing, then we put ourselves in the position of availability and we won't go home empty handed.


As we continue this mission God has put us on, please pray that no matter the fires we walk through, that we always take the time to see what God is doing.