This morning I read the conference talk by Jeffrey R. Holland, given last April,
Laborers in the Vineyard. Later, with Lance, I retold the parable about the householder that hired laborers for the harvest. I told him that his family wouldn't have any food for dinner if he didn't get a job. I put Lance in the first group of people hired at 6am. Then I told him about the others that were hired at 9am, then noon. Then 3pm, then the "11th hour" at about 5pm, who only worked for one hour. He listened without any opinions. So when the day was over, Lance got to go and receive a whole $10 to feed his family, as did the rest of those in his group. And I told him the next people came to get their wages, that had worked 3 less hours than him. He didn't blink when I told him that they were paid the same $10. I asked him what did he think the people that came at noon got paid. He answered, "$10"? I asked him if he'd heard this story before and he hadn't. So next question was what did those that only worked 3 hours get paid. He said, "$10", pleased with himself that he knew the answer. And finally, those that only worked one hour, of course, got $10.
But, Lance, you worked the WHOLE DAY! They only worked ONE HOUR.
"It's fair." He said. "They should get the same amount that I got". End of story. No more lessons to be learned. I wish I had learned it so easily as my eight year old.
Looking forward to his baptism next month....
Also here's part of my journal entry I wrote last night:
(... want to note that Lance is a super mover
when it comes to cleaning. I wish I
cleaned like that. Our whole house would
benefit. He went the extra mile when I
asked him to put the toys by the door to take to the donation place, he went
out and opened the back of the van and loaded it! He also took the garbage upstairs and dumped
it. Did a lot of the sweeping
downstairs. Man, I love that little man. I remember thinking his temper was the most
difficult thing I had to deal with as a parent.
Now I’m grateful that’s all I have to worry about with him, almost J
 |
| Lance with one of his Mod Podge projects this summer, a pinewood derby car from his Boys' Life magazine |
