Signs of Joy (Matthew 5:14; 28:18-20)

The other day I was picking up the food truck from the mill. They were doing construction near the exit and so a lady was standing in a reflective vest, with a hard hat on, holding a sign for directing the traffic. I admit I was confused by her methods -at first- for she held the "stop" side of the sign facing me but with her other hand she was beckoning me to approach her in the large Salvation Army Community Response Vehicle I was driving.

I drove up to her. She motioned for me to roll down my window, which I did. She then said to me that she knows that The Salvation Army uses the truck around 5pm why am I taking it our around 9am. I explained to her that I had to fill it with gas and the volunteers and staff had to clean and stock it.

Then, while I was still stopped, she told me about her job. She mentioned how much she was paid - more than other companies that hold signs for road work. She spoke about the training she underwent and how good it is. She told me how one could get government assistance to pay for work boots and other things needed for the position. She spoke about the monetary benefits; she spoke about the beneficial work conditions. She, assuming I was a volunteer, told me how much she loved her job and how I could apply for a position with the company.

I thought it was cute that a new employee who had just gotten her job through an employment training program liked it this much. I said that it sounds like a great job (which it does) and I asked her how long she has been doing it. "Since 1980", she replied. That is 42 years ago at the time of my writing this!

Imagine loving your job so much that even after 42 years when you tell someone about it they just assume that you are excited because it is new to you!

As I reflected on this I thought of the job that we are all given, Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus tells his followers, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” and I think of the excitement that this should bring us - even more excitement that the lady holding the sign had that day! The excitement should be so much that it cannot be contained. It should be like, Matthew 5:14, "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden."

It is my hope that this joy of the Lord will overflow in all of our lives.

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