Thankless Tasks

Scripture

So watch yourselves. ‘If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying “I repent,” you must forgive them.’ The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ …. So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, “We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.” ’

(Luke 17:3-5,10 NIV)

Thankless Tasks

One day last week my first stop was a vaccine clinic. Doctors, nurses and administrative staff from our local health unit cheerfully and efficiently administrated our latest Covid booster and if we wanted,  a flu shot. “I’m Dr ……” said the woman doing my jab. When I wondered at a doc doing the jabs she just said she felt it was important to do the clinics and help with public health.

After a quick drive down the 427, my friend Neil Hetherington toured me through Toronto’s Daily Bread food bank where a small staff and many volunteers work to organize and distribute food for that location and nearly 150 others. (You’ll be hearing from him in an upcoming podcast video.) The folks at the food bank quietly and efficiently feed up to 400,000 people through simple acts of service.

Back to a hotel in town for a reception to celebrate the life of a local business and philanthropic leader who helped more organizations and individuals than anyone really knew – so much was done under the radar. While there a friend and I wondered why a local politician wasn’t running this time. “It’s a thankless task with all sorts of abuse,” my friend suggested.

Thousands of people quietly do “thankless tasks” with cheer and efficiency and no ambition for recognition, to our benefit. If that isn’t in the spirit of Jesus, then I don’t know what is. When his disciples felt they needed more faith to answer his call to forgive over and over, Jesus just said “Consider that you’ve just done your job.” Let’s do our job to serve but also offer thanks to the many who make our lives richer. 

A Prayer for Today

O God of creative kindness and mercy, thank you for this past Thanksgiving weekend. Thank you for all our blessings and thank you for your presence when it doesn’t seem blessings are present. Give us eyes to see the many folk who serve and care for our common good and grant them a sense of your presence as they do your work, perhaps unwittingly   …. For Jesus’ sake