July 26, 2020
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9
When our son played youth ice hockey on a travel team for nine years, the team practiced three times a week and then played games on weekends. As you know, it takes a village to be a part of team sports and many parents took on different roles: team mom or dad, scorekeeper, penalty box dad (as required in ice hockey), and then there was our job, year in and year out—water mom and dad! We took on the task of cleaning and filling all 12 team water bottles (the ones with the long, bent straws that the players could squirt into their mouths through the metal face masks attached to their helmets). It was a tedious job because I wanted to make sure that each bottle and straw were cleaned thoroughly so that they were germ-free. I remember dreading the task after a while and began to regret volunteering for the job. I kept score in my mind of how much more we were doing than some other parents. Then one day I felt a nudge to pray for every one of those boys on the team as I washed each bottle and I had a very different attitude from that day on.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.” (The Message)
How many of us dread the tasks we have to tackle each day, such as laundry, cooking dinner, changing diapers, or looking after elderly parents? We can change our attitude and begin to pray for each person in our care. Let us not grow weary or keep score, but let us be thankful for the tasks God gives us to do. As for reaping a harvest? We may not see the fruits of our labor right away or ever, but our job is to be obedient, keep praying, and let the Lord do the rest.
Lord, no matter what tedious tasks we have to accomplish each day, help each of us have an attitude of gratitude through prayer and thanksgiving! Amen.
Nancy Gerardo